The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-04-28

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existence been used for many pur-
poses. Its first service was that of a
provincial courthouse, but it has been
used for many other ends, even,
legend states, for the storage of pow
der during the early period of the
Revolution. Long before this, it
served, after the partial destruction
of the State House in 1890, and its
complete ruin in 1704, for the debates
of Governor and Council. Certainly
during the administration of Governor
Nicholson, probably in those of Black
iston and Seymour, it was the principal
place of such meetings. The measure
ments as given in the Act of 1894
have all been verified. The unknown
builder must have been a man of far
greater technical knowledge than Au-
gustine Herman, contractor for the
State House. His work, so far as the
outside walls are concerned, is mon
ument to his skill in bricklaying and
mixing mortar, only excelled at Vau-
ter's Church, Port Royal, Virginia, a
structure of about the same age. The
well-laid brickwork is as intact today
as the one after it was set, and nearly
$50 years of winters storm and sum-
mer's heat have passed over it. The
single roof has been replaced by one
of slate, which does not change the
outward appearance to any extent.
The interior has been much altered.
The stairway has been removed and
a vaulted ceiling of brick separates
the lower from the upper floor, MAX
ing the latter inaccessible. The first
floor is now divided into several small
rooms, having no relatin to it's origi-
nal purpose. Windows in the upper
floors have been closed, and an addi-
tional one opened in one corner of the
main floor. From 1875 to 1767 the
building was used for Treasury. 1t
is extremely probable that the vaulted
brick ceiling was added at this time,
and two heavy iron chests for the cur
rency built into and behind false walls.
These chests were purchased in Eng
land in 1876, and in 1922, when re-
pairs were being made to the structure
they were found in the walls. When
the chests were opened one contained
an account book with the dates 1896
1857; the other one was empty.
##&
The act of 1894 for the building of a
courthouse included this statement:
The court house shall be forty-six
by twenty-five feet in inside measure
ment, two stories high, eleven feet
pitch for the first story; with porches
and porch chambers fourteen feet long
and twelve feet wide of the same
work; the roof to be girt and hipped,
to be covered with cypress plank,
shingled with cypress shingles, with
convenient apartments in the upper
story for one Office and three small
rooms for juries, the porch chambers
to be fitted for one Office each. At
one end of the house place of judi
cature of such form as the State
House at St. Mary's City; at the other
end chimney with a fireplace there
in, above and below, with a staircase
by the side of the chimney; the stairs,
windows and doors uniform; the lower
floor to be laid of brick, the upper
one of plank. The building to be paid
for with imposts, before the first day
of April (1695), on all liquors, fifty
pounds (sterling) starting, and fifty
pounds in October, with $4,000 pounds
of tobacco out Of the public levy.
This building was completed and
occupied by the court May 8, 1895,
according to the records. From an ar
chitectural viewpoint it is nothing
more than a replica, on somewhat
smaller scale, of the St. Mary's State
House, it being designed solely for
the service of the Provincial Court.
In conclusion! One gathers from