Much to Discover "Under the Dome!"

posted by Seán Henry

Did you know …

• … that the Maryland State House is the oldest continuously used state capitol in the USA?
• … that it served as our Nation’s Capitol for several months in 1783 and 1784?
• … that the State House has the largest and oldest wooden dome in America?
• … that the Governor of Maryland has more executive power than other US governors?

Several of us Maryland Chapter members and assorted friends made these discoveries, and many more, when we attended Under the Dome: A Stately Event in Annapolis on March 15, which included a tour of the Maryland State House and the Legislative Library, plus a bird’s eye view of a lively, open session of the Maryland General Assembly!

The evening started out at 5:15 PM with a light supper of delicious artisan sandwiches and desserts in the Legislative Services Building across State Circle behind the State House. Approximately 30 of us were in attendance and everyone had a good time talking, networking, mingling, and getting to know each other. I was glad to see a strong turnout of LIS students from both the Maryland iSchool and Catholic University School of Library and Information Science. I was also pleasantly surprised to encounter Robert Guerrero, President-Elect of the Philadelphia Chapter, who came down to participate and gather event programming inspiration from us for his home chapter!

After supper, we walked down the hall to the Department of Library and Information Services where our local hostess Annette Kaltenbaugh, Legislative Librarian, described workplace tasks. The Department of Library and Information Services provides reference and research support to 188 Maryland legislators, their staff, and legislative information to the public. Librarians also prepare legislative documents and materials for a diverse audience. Among the Department’s collections are Laws of Maryland going back to the 1600’s, old British statutes, and Maryland Senate journals harking back to 1837.  Annette’s workplace environment was bristling with excitement during our visit as bill writers and other researchers rushed through the stacks looking for information in preparation for the upcoming open session at 8 PM.

After the library tour, Annette turned us over to the Visitor’s Program Coordinator Patricia Harrison for a State House tour.  Our journey with Patricia began in the Joint Hearing Room of the Legislative Services Building and moved to the Bill Room in the basement, where copies of bills and joint resolutions are sorted. From there, we moved through an underground tunnel into the basement of the State House.

Although the State House, completed in 1779, is the oldest continuously used state capitol building in USA (and built on the site of two former colonial Maryland State Houses), most of the government is conducted in the newer section, where the working Senate and House Chambers are located, which was constructed between 1902 and 1905. The resplendent Senate Chamber is illuminated by a Tiffany skylight  and  adorned with “book end' marble columns. Red carpet emblazoned with the state seal covers the entire floor. Maryland is the only state in the Nation whose seal consists of a  heraldic family crest – that of the Calvert Family, the Lords of Baltimore  during colonial times. The black and gold of the Maryland State Flag, also the only state flag derived from English heraldry, were the Calvert Family’s colors.

Down the hall in the original part of the State House is the more modest Old Senate  Chamber, where George Washington  resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783. A plaque on the floor marks exactly where he stood. This was an important symbolic act in which Washington upheld the republican ideal of citizen leadership, rejecting power as ruler. Another landmark in our nation’s history which also occurred in the Old Senate Chamber was the ratification of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, establishing the unanimous consent of all thirteen states to form a  perpetual union. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784, effectively making the State House the national capitol building.

Of course, the main focus in the old part of the State House is the dramatic rotunda. Large columns support the arches bracing the large dome above. The State House dome is the oldest and largest wooden dome of its kind in the United States.

After our in-depth tour of the historic State House, we had an opportunity to sit in on a live legislative session of the General Assembly starting at 8 PM.  The General Assembly meets for 90 days between January and April each year to act on more than 2300 bills before adjourning. The public, open legislative sessions have been traditionally at night since colonial times, when it was decided that governing shouldn’t interfere with planting crops!

We all came away from our tour of the State House enlightened with new knowledge of Maryland’s government and history, plus a packet of materials from the  Department of Library and Information Services. Thanks, Annette Kaltenbaugh, for hosting us and showing us your workplace. And, congratulations, Ashley Conaway, Chapter President-Elect and Program Chair, for organizing such a successful chapter event!