David Ridgely, the annalist of Annapolis, tells us that “there is a tradition that on Governor Eden’s striking the stone with a mallet, which was customary on such occasions, there was a severe clap of thunder, although not a cloud was to be seen, the day being clear and beautifully serene.”
In 1773 a copper roof was put on, but was blown off in 1775 during a violent gale.
The dome was not added till after the Revolution, and is built of wood.
The height internally to the top of the dome is 113 feet, externally to the tip of the spire is 200 feet. The length of the building is 120 feet, the depth 82 feet. The architect was Joseph Clark.
An excellent view of the State House with grounds, plans, etc., with surrounding buildings as they then stood, is given in the Columbian Magazine for February, 1789.
Its magnificent site, fifty-eight feet above sea-level, with its simple architecture, has at all times excited the admiration of strangers and citizens alike.
From time to time various additions have been made, the latest being the addition ordered by the Legislature of 1902, in order to accommodate the General Assembly.
Through the efforts of Governor Warfield, an ardent lover of all that is patriotic, the old Senate Chamber in which Washington resigned his Commission in 1783, has been restored to its original condition. The scene of this act is depicted in the well-known picture by Trumbull.
The treaty of peace with Great Britain, and the convention of 1786 were both held in this building, which is especially sacred to all Marylanders, on account of the associations which cluster around it.
