Annapolis, May 30, 2008

This afternoon we took the car and drove around Annapolis. We were fortunate to find a parking space in downtown Historic Annapolis. We walked around the area, up and down the streets and around State Circle where the Maryland State House is located.

The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and was the first peacetime capitol of the United States. It is the only state house ever to have served as the nation's capitol. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784. During that time, General George Washington came before the Congress to resign his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War.

The State House has a wooden dome. It is the oldest and largest wooden dome of its kind in the United States. No metal nails were used in its construction and, to this day, it is held together by wooden pegs reinforced by iron straps forged by an Annapolis ironmonger.

There are many old homes surrounded with beautiful mature trees. There are new homes mixed in with 100 year old homes, but everything fits in well together. The city has as nice a blend of old and new as we have ever seen. It is a beautiful city.

We were in an ice cream shop where the owners had started a tradition of hanging plastic spoons decorated by the customers on the walls. Thousands of customers have shown their creative side with the supplies provided. There was also a sign which said the first documented use of the term “ice cream” occurred in Annapolis in 1744 by its govenor.

We drove by the Naval Academy Cemetery. It is a military cemetery. Small headstones, all in a row.