Our agenda today included the United States Naval Academy and the Maryland Capitol. We began at the Naval Academy.
The best way to see the Naval Academy is following a tour guide. One of the first buildings we saw was LeJuene Hall. It is the physical education center. They have a very nice pool there. That is unless you are trying to pass the swimming test. You need to be able to swim a mile in full gear within a thirty minute time limit.
There are many reminders of naval history at the Academy. One of the most prominent is the memorial about the Battle of Midway in World War II. That battle was a turning point in the war because the Japanese lost four aircraft carriers and the United States only lost one aircraft carrier.
The dormitory facilities at the Naval Academy are all in a single building named Bancroft Hall. All 4,000 cadets are housed in this single building. It is both massive and beautiful.
This is the entry hallway into Bancroft Hall.
The entry foyer includes a dome.
While the building is large, the sleeping areas are sparse. The picture below shows a sample room with two bunks. There are normally three bunks in a room this size. It is preparation for even smaller quarters when you are on a ship.
The Chapel at the Naval Academy is another intricately decorated building. It houses the chapel and the burial site for John Paul Jones.
The interior of the chapel is impressive.
The burial site for John Paul Jones is ornate. He is recognized as a prime leader in the American Revolution because his sea victories over British ships kept the British soldiers in America from getting the supplies they needed.
Both the Naval Academy and the state capitol are in Annapolis. Annapolis is truly a small town filled with many one way streets. This is the street where we had “lunch” at an ice cream shop.
After lunch, we visited the Maryland State House. It is the oldest state capitol in continuous use. It is also the smallest state capitol we have seen so far.
The state capitol sits on top of a small hill and is totally surrounded by a one way street.
In its earliest days, the capitol also served as a meeting place for Congress. The Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War was approved by Congress in this building. It is also where George Washington met with the Continental Congress to resign as the leader of the Continental Army.
The Capitol was once home to the Supreme Court of Maryland.
Both the old and new Senate and House Chamber are located in the Capitol.
It is interesting to note that while the basic structures of most state governments in this country are similar, the Capital cities and the Capitol buildings are quite different. It was amazing to see a capitol like Maryland’s where so much history has happened over almost 250 years.