Safeguarding the Declaration of Independence State House, Annapolis
A Front View of the State-House, etc.
at Annapolis, the Capital of Maryland
Engraving from The Columbian Magazine
February 1789
Library of Congress
State House, Annapolis
(November 1783 - October 1784)
On March 28, 1772, Maryland Governor Robert Eden laid the cornerstone for what would be the third State House in Annapolis. Work began shortly thereafter and progressed for the first year and a half, but natural and man-made disasters intervened to cause enormous delays and difficulties.
When the Continental Congress moved to Annapolis in late November 1783, the State House was still unfinished. The delegates met in a largely completed chamber, albeit with a leaky roof, until August 1784. The following year, architect and builder, Joseph Clark, repaired the roof and improved the dome, which is considered to be the crowning architectural achievement of the State House.