State Agencies

Hall of Records
St. Johns' St. and College Avenue
P. 0. Box 828
Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-3915

The Hall of Records Commission was created
in 1935 (Chapter 18, Acts of 1935).

The Commission is composed of the Secretary
of General Services, the Comptroller of the Trea-
sury, the State Treasurer, a State Senate member
appointed by the Senate President, a House of
Delegates member appointed by the House
Speaker, the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals,
the President of the Johns Hopkins University or
his designee, the President of the University of
Maryland or his designee, the President of St.
John's College or his designee, and the President
of the Maryland Historical Society.

The Commission supervises and controls the
Hall of Records, which consists of two main divi-
sions—the Archives Division and the Records
Management Division. All papers, records, relics,
and other memorials connected with the early
history of Maryland not required for the neces-
sary operation of any other office are under the
supervision of and belong to the Hall of Records
Commission (Code 1957, Art. 54).

Archives Division

Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, State Archivist
Dr. Gregory A. Stiverson, Assistant State Archivist

Hall of Records
St. Johns' St. and College Avenue
P. 0. Box 828
Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-3915

Public Searchroom Open Mon.-Sat., 8:30 A.M-
4:30 P.M.

The Archives Division, or Maryland Hall of
Records, is the historical agency for the State of
Maryland. It serves as the central depository for
governmental records of permanent value. Among
its holdings are colonial and State executive, leg-
islative, and judicial records; county probate,
land, and court records; church records; business
records; State publications and reports; and spe-
cial collections of private papers, newspapers, and
maps. Records are stored in a humidity- and tem-
perature-controlled stack area, and preservation
requirements, including deacidification, lamina-
tion, mylarencapsulation, and archival bookbind-
ing, are undertaken by the staff of an in-house
conservation laboratory. Records are made acces-
sible to the public in a search room that is open
six days each week, through photocopies pro-

General Services/191

duced in an in-house photolab, and through the
interlibrary loan of microform. The Hall of Rec-
ords produces a variety of finding aids and guides
to records, as well as historical monographs, es-
says, and directories. A brochure describing Hall
of Records publications and another giving guid-
ance for doing research in the public search room
or by mail are available on request.

The Hall of Records building opened in 1935.
It is located on the comer of College Avenue and
St. John's Street on the St. John's College cam-
pus in Annapolis. State agencies, counties, cities,
and towns in Maryland are authorized to offer
for deposit at the Hall of Records all files, docu-
ments, and records not in current use.

State agencies are required by law to have their
records placed on retention and disposal sched-
ules. No records of State agencies can be de-
stroyed without scheduling and the prior approv-
al of the Hall of Records Commission.

All records that are in the courthouses of the
State and that were created prior to April 28,
1788, the date of ratification of the U. S. Consti-
tution by Maryland, must be deposited at the
Hall of Records. The records of all State agen-
cies, boards, and commissions that are abolished
or otherwise cease to function must also be trans-
ferred to the custody of the Hall of Records
Commission.

All current deeds, mortgages, and releases re-
corded in the courthouses of the State are
microfilmed and preserved at the Hall of Records
for security purposes. Limited facilities are avail-
able for the filming of records of State agencies.

In 1947 the Hall of Records began to collect
the publications and reports of State agencies. By
Chapter 912, Acts of 1982, the Hall of Records
receives State publications and reports under the
State Publications Depository and Distribution
Program. It is also an official depository for all
codes published by local governments, both coun-
ty and municipal (Code 1957, Art. 23A, sec. 9A;
Art. 25, sec. 32A, Art, 25A, sec. 7; Art. 25B,
secs. 7, 12). Since 1967, the Hall of Records has
been a depository for charter amendments and
annexations of municipal corporations (Code
1957, Art. 23A, secs. 9, 17, 17A and 19).

The Archives Division compiles, edits, pub-
lishes, and distributes the MARYLAND MAN-
UAL (Code 1957, Art. 41, secs. 104-106). By
Chapter 119, Acts of 1981, the Hall of Records is
to prepare, edit, and publish future volumes of
the Archives of Maryland series.

Chapter 488, Acts of 1966, transferred the
functions, records, responsibilities, and employees