Maryland’s first capital was in St. Mary’s City in southern-most Maryland. As more and more people settled in other parts of the colony, they wanted the capital to be more centrally located. So in 1695, Maryland's General Assembly and Governor Francis Nicholson moved the capital from St. Mary's City to Annapolis.

The State House was built, burned, rebuilt and rebuilt again in 1772. It is this structure which has been in use ever since its completion in 1779. It is the oldest state capitol building in continuous legislative use in the United States. Thousands of visitors from all over the world pass through the State House in Annapolis. It is probably the best-known building in the state.
The State House was designed by Joseph Clark of Annapolis. He finished the wooden dome in 1797, but because nails were scarce following the Revolutionary War, he didn't use a single one in its construction. The lightning rod on the dome was designed according to Benjamin Franklin's theories.

The State House was the nation's first peacetime capitol when the Continental Congress met in Annapolis from November of 1783 to August of 1784. You can still see the Old Senate Chamber where George Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolutionary War.

In 1786, the State House hosted a convention of 12 delegates from five states who wished to strengthen the central government of the United States. Unable to take on the revision of the Articles of Confederation without representation from all 13 states, the group - known as the Annapolis Committee - resolved to organize a meeting in Philadelphia the following year. It was this more famous meeting which gave us the Constitution of the United States.

As the state of Maryland grew, its government and State House grew. The General Assembly, made up of a 141 member House of Delegates and a 47 member Senate, meets in two large chambers in a new section of the State House built between 1902 and 1905. You can watch Maryland's government in action from visitor galleries in both the House and Senate Chambers. The Governor has offices in the State House and a residence nearby in the Government House on State Circle.