Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-15

which contained about three acres.
BY ait of Assembly became vested
in the Rector and Vestry Of william
aid Mary parish and their sacces-
ss,rs, IN fee simple, for the use OF
the parish forever It continued
to BIZ used as . church for more
than . century, bat in 1899 this
historic old building was pulled
down and its. material used in the
construction OF Trinity Church.
which stands near by.
The Flrss STATE Houss.
THE State House stood on est.
Mary's Bluff, = which formed the
northwestern extremity OF the town.
II was a strikingly beautiful sitna-
ton and COMMANDED an extensive
view Of the town, the river and the
surrounding country, and to those
approaching the city. either BY land
or water, it formed prominent
and picturesque feature of the land
scape. Its dimensions were forty
five by fifty feet, its architectural
design that of a Maltese cross. and
waa one OF the most pretentious
public buildings of its time. It
sai built Of large, red vitrified
brick, its walls varying from twenty
eight to nineteen inches, diminish
ing in thickness with their height,
the lower floor being divided into
two halls for the accommodation of
the upper and lower houses of AS
sembly, and which were paved with
iiagstone. Itfwas two and half
stories high, with steep roof, cover
ed with red tile. from the centre of
which shot up an iron spire, with
ball, supporting near its top vane,
on which was inscribed, 1885,"
the date of its erection. The build
ing, with a Jail, cost $50, 900 pounds
of tobacco. By singular coinci-
dence it was built without chimneys
owing to a controversy over the
proposition to allow it, in confor-
nifty with the custom of the times,
to be used as an ordinary or eating
house. The opposing and predo-
minant faction, in order to make
this .impracticable, caused them to
be omitted altogether, and it was
not until two years later that its
three massive outside chimneys
were added, at a cost of 10000
pounds of tobacco.
The Old Mulberry.
Con the State House Square,
about 20 feet distant, stood the his
toric 'Old Mulberry under whose
broad spreading branches the first
colonists of Maryland assembled,
and under which also, Evolutionary
history says, the first mass at st.
Mary's was celebrated and the treaty
between Governor Calvert aud the
Yaocomico Indians was made. OF
this venerable tree, whose mass of
foliage continued for two hundred
years afterward to crown the State
House promontory, it is further re-
corded, that 'on it were nailed the
proclamations of Calvert and his
successors, the notice of punish
ments and fines, the inventories of
debtors whose goods were TO be sold,
and all notices calling for the pub
lie attention. Within comparative
ly recent years even, curious relic
hunters were able to pick frem its
decaying trunk the rude nails
which thus 'beld the forgotten
State papers of two centuries ago.
Calvert Vault.
"About fifteen feet from the site
Of the State House stands what is
known as the Calvert Vault, and
which is supposed to contain the
remains of Gov. Leonard Calvert.
Lady Jane, the wife of Charles Lord
Baltimore, and Cecilius, their oldest
son. OF this vault, tradition SAYS.
! its entrance was covered up and the
key thrown into the river, that its
reyered inmates might peacefully
repose for ever under the soil they
bad redeemed from the wilderness.
Commemorative Stones.
Gin 1889 the State of MARYLAND
purchased from William and Mary
parish the eastern half of the State
House lot, and to commemorate the
spot where civilization and Chris
tianity were first introduced into
our State erected on it the impos-
ing and classic building known as
the st. Mary's Female Seminary
1t also, little more than two years
ago, did tardy justice to Maryiand's
first Governor-Leonard Calvert
by erecting to his memory hand
some granite shaft, placing it on
the site of the odd Mulberry and
at the same time, in order TO per-
petuate the foundation lines Of the
old State House, planted at each Of