Summary of the Old Senate Chamber’s Evolution to the Present

by Calder Loth

(The following is taken from the final report of the Old Senate Chamber Architectural Advisory Committee that was presented to the Maryland State House Trust in January 2009)

All buildings change, some much more than others. Although the Maryland State House is America’s oldest functioning state capitol building, it is very different, especially on its interior, from the building that was first occupied in 1779. From the start, it was subjected to alterations and repairs that affected its appearance inside and out.

Old Senate Chamber Progress Update- December 10, 2012

Deconstruction work in the Old Senate Chamber began in earnest today.  MHT staffers, Marcia Miller and Thomas Reinhart, were on site assisting the contractors in removing building material and analyzing the newly uncovered evidence.  Heavy demolition was conducted by employees of the Christman Company, under the direction of Christman project supervisor David Overholt.  The Christman Company has been hired as the principal contractor for the reconstruction.

Old Senate Chamber Restoration Is Now Under Way

The President’s Dais in the Old Senate Chamber, 2009

As any visitor to the Maryland State House over the past five years can guess, something big is brewing in the old Senate Chamber. The bare brick walls of the chamber have inspired many questions as to what’s going on. Why has the room been stripped down? What does it mean? The answers are simple. The State of Maryland has undertaken to restore the room to its appearance in 1783 when it was center stage in the birth of our nation.