Pieces of the Maryland Silver Service being used aboard the current USS Maryland where Captain
Harold E. Marshall (left, inset photograph) greets Maryland State Comptroller Louis L. Goldstein

addition to its name, another legacy that the latest USS Maryland carries from
her predecessors are four pieces of the historic Maryland Silver Service. In
1904, Maryland Governor Edwin Warfield appointed a commission to raise
$5,000 to purchase a silver service for the new armored cruiser Maryland.
Many citizens, including schoolchildren, responded with donations.
Their contributions allowed the commission to enlist Samuel Kirk and
Sons of Baltimore to design a 48-piece collection illustrating 167 scenes
from the history of Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City. The firm used
more than 1,000 ounces of silver. The silver service was presented to the cruiser in
1906 and transferred to the new battleship Maryland in 1921.
In 1960, the Navy returned the silver service to the state of Maryland permanently. It
remains on display in the Silver Room of the State House in Annapolis. The commission-
ing of the new USS Maryland submarine in 1992 prompted the state to return a portion of
the silver service to active use. Because of space limitations aboard, a pair of candlesticks
representing Garrett County and a sugar and creamer set depicting Charles County were
presented to the vessel for use on board.

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