The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-04-21
Maryland's Early State Houses

brazier with an outlet through the
window.
A drummer boy was to call the
times of meeting of the Assembly, an
arrangement that in 1852 was super
seeded by a bell. The final touch to
the edifce was cupola, the top be-
fore this being surmounted by an iron
rod bearing a weather vane.
Survivals in this country of the in
terror furnishings of the period of
James II are rare. Fortunately, in
the instance of the Third State House
few relics have been preserved. Of
the interior construction part of one
newell post is retained at CORVALLIS
Cross Manor, near by. 1t is of the
quartered oak mentioned in the spec
ifications and still holds the dowel
pins. The Council Table of the Third
Lord Baltimore, after being at St.
Inigoe's for time, now rests at the
University of Georgetown. Every
thing else, except the bricks, has dis
appeared. **+
In the act of specifications the up
per floor of the State House is divid-
ed into three compartments. Legend
suggests that the southwest room,
which was large, was appropriated
to the needs of the acting Governor,
in this instance Charles Calvert, after
ward Third Lord Baltimore, and his
Council Philip Calvert, chancellor;
William Calvert, secretary; the Hon.
Vincent Lowe, surveyor-general; Col.
Thomas Tailleur, Col. William Stew
ems and Col. William Digges.
Around this table must have stood
at least eight chairs, possibly of the
so-called wainscot, possibly of the
lighter Cromwellian type, which could
have readily been made by the same
local artisan who built the table. This
last is distinctively of CHARTERED Am
erican oak for frame with legs and
top of the local black walnut, the
surface so blackened by the hand of
time as to be indistinguishable in tex
ture, except under an intense light,
when the grain comes out distinctly.
The legs are we'll carved, are of the
straight type, with the Dutch foot. 1t
belongs to a pattern hitherto only
known as belonging to certain Connec-
ticut localities.
The other two rooms in the second
story were smaller, used for consul
tation of committees and for juries,
and probably held no furniture Of con-
sequence.
This Third State House was in SER
vice for the Assemblies and courts for
period of nearly twenty years, or
until the seat of government was re-
moved to the Port and Town of An
napolis during the administration of
Governor Nicholson, 1894.
During this Governors term of SER
vice, and particularly in that Of his
successor, Seymour, the st. Mary's
State House, stripped of its earlier
uses, served for a time for the local
courts; even this service came to an
end when the Town of St. Mary's was
disfranchised and the County Court
removed to Leonard Town. In 172O
the title to the land on which it stood
was vested in the rector and vestry
of William and Mary Parish "for the
use of the Parish forever" The build
ing now had many alterations made
j in it. 1t was converted into a Prot
estant church. The second story with
the rooms above were removed, there
by heightening the room space, and
the furnishings were carried away and
dispersed. The dissertation of land
mark disturbed the sentiment of many
of the local people, and Lord Balti-
more's table was sent to the manor of
St. Inigoe for preservation.
Even this reconstruction as an &C.