The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-22
ANNAPOLIS PREPARED TO
CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY
To-Day is the Bi-Centennial
of the Towns Corporate
Existence The Charter
Was Granted by Queen
Anne on November %,
1908.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
| Annapolis, Nd, Nov. 21--Annapolis
| today assumed her holiday attire in
preparation for the celebration tomor-
| row OF the bi-centennial of the towns
corporate existence. The charter for
Annapolis was granted by Queen Anne
on November p, 170S, Just 200 years
ago tomorrow, and the anniversary
will be observed in a fitting manner
A preliminary program was. carried
out today at the historic State House,
and football game between the An
napolis Naval Academy and the Vir-
| ginia Polytechnic Institute will serve
to amuse the visitors who are already
invading the town from all over Mary
land and. Surrounding states. The
most spectacular features of the BIZ
| centenary program will be carried out
on Monday and Tuesday.
Tomorrow, which is the exact. ami
versary of the founding OF Annapolis,
will have as a feature a municipal
thanksgiving service at st. Anne's, the
historic church of Annapolis and spe-
cial services in all churches. There
will be parade, an essential append
age to any Celebration and the formal
dedication of conspicuous public
square as the site of an emblematic
|
pie that had its Inception among
Maryland colonists-religious tOIera-
| ton.
| Maryland's happy example inspired
defenders of freedom of conscience
| everywhere until it become a cardinal
belief of the patriots who achieved
the national independence of the Unit
ed States. The inception and fruitiOn
of this idea-religious toleration-An-
napolitans believe, is worthy of COM
| memoration by the erection of hand
| some monument as part of the celebra-
| ton
| The monument contemplated is one
that will show figures representative
of a Catholic, a Church Of England
man and a Puritan in fraternal group
ing with Cecilius Calvert, whom Lord
Baltimore recognized as the founder
OF Maryland and rpholder of religious
liberation, if not the originator thereof
J As an American principle. In conec-
| ito with the monument there will be
| a fountain, and for this fountain the
municipality will supply water from
an artesian well.
Where Washington Resigned.
The old Maryland State House, the
scene of today's exercises, is famous
in many respects, but its chief attrac-
l ton to visitors is the old senate cham
Der, where General George Washing
to resigned his commission as COM
/ mander in chief of the Continental
army. This has been restored recent
ly, so that it appears just as it did in
/ 1888, when twenty members of the
Continental Congress assembled and
General Mifflin, the president, accept
ed the resignation of the man who
was afterward to become =. the first
president of the United States. The
old senate chamber is now reserved as
| historical museum Inc Legislature
now meets in palatial new chambers
in the addition to the state house
an addition which harmoniZes with
the older part of the building, which
impressed one of RochambeaUs Off
GERS as the finest structure l have
seen in the country" The front of
the old building, the cornerstone for
1 which was laid in 1872, and two sides
are unaltered. The present state
house was built with an appropriation
made as far back as 1869, replacing
a structure that did not measure up
to the artistic ideas Of the Maryland
gentlemen who had made Annapolis
! what it was in the eighteenth century.
St Anne's church, where tomorrOw's
thanksgiving services will be held, is
one of the landmarks OF the town.
The first church was built in 1893, but
the present beautiful edifice was COM
pIeted in 1859.
The state house and the church as
links with the more remote history
of the town will be accorded their
due local prominence in the 'celebra-
ton. The school, st. Johns College,
which is a third link between the
\ ha n
Queen Anne, will have a more modest
share. Its fine body of cadets will
participate in the parade, and its es-
| teemed president, DIR. Thomas Fell,
is a member OF the bicentennial asso-
citation, but il will require no special
exercise to centre interest in an edu-
cational institution which was an out
growth of the first public school es-
tablished on the North American con-
! tinent.
| AS King Williams School, st. Johns
College, was founded in 1896, burt not
opened until 1904 Consisting now or
a group Of fine but not pretentious
buildings, harmonious in architecture,
with the so-called Colonial style pre-
dominant, respectfully aligned in
packed area, it forms a picture sug-
i costing sedate age, but not such age
as is inconsistent with sturdiness. st:
Johns is a venerable institution, but
| IT has more than age to give II re-
ro'wn. Today ii is a college that
ranks high IN educational circles and
one that affords to young men mill
| tary training that has the warm COM
mediation of the War Department.
Moreover within the past few years
il has taken its place as a part Of the
! University of Maryland.
n