Plans submitted by
Daniel M. Sprogle for
the improvement of the
State House Grounds
May 1882

I propose to improve the grounds and
streets around the State House as per
plan, as follows; viz;

To Excavate grade and pave the circle
around the grounds, with broken stone
such as it used in the Naval Academy.

To Make a square 175 feet by 33 feet between
Maryland Avenue & East St. Enclosed with
Marble Posts & Galvanized pipe, to be added,
and to have a fountain, walks & trees.

To take down the stone wall around the grounds
and use the stone in paving the circle
to lower the gapping and iron fence to within
6 inches of the line of the pavement.
To grade, terrace & sod the circle, where the
walls are taken down 45 degrees and
put a one foot gutter inside of capping.

To take up the stone curb around the
grounds and used the same in a proper
manner and move the curb stone on the
East, North, & West side outside of the trees
so as to make the pavement 8 ft, 6 inches wide.

To put concrete walks as per plan, to be like
those at the Capital as Washington.
To have a suitable fountain on the North
side of the State House, also two Hydrants
for drinking purposes, as there are
many visitors during the summer, and
no water on the Hill to drink when
there are hundreds of gallons wasted.

To put a plank walk from the East
Corner of the State House to the North
Entrance of the Circle, the same as those
used at Harrisonburg, where the Hill is
very steep.

Take down the wall, South of the Record
Office &  Treasury Building and sod in
place of the wall.

Take down the Steam Houses and make
a Carriage or Cart Way, with grass plot
in the centre, (back of Library)

I put 3 feet of Blue stone flagging across
from each street, to the circle.

Take away the old brick wall in front
of the Treasury building, and put suitable
stone steps.

To make a suitable entrance to the East,
North East, North & West of the grounds.

Take up the old flagging in front of the
State House and put down No 1 Concrete
Pavement, like that used at the Capital
at Washington, and use old flagging
on the square on Circle.

Put Iron Posts two feet apart in from of
each entrance and do away with all
gates except at the carraige or cart way.

Put 10 inch Terra-cotta pipe across the
Circle to carry of the water, the pipe to
be under the flagging.

Put Iron pipe wherever necessary to
protect the grass.

Take the sod off the Hill, and Terrace
and grade in a workmanlike manner
and resod the same.

Take down all the dead trees, and
unsightly one's and put new ones in
their place, and put young trees 30 feet
apart along each walk.

There should be a place built in the gutter
of the State House with a door on the
outside to put ashes in. They should
not put them on the hill.

The Tauney Statue, as it now stands,
is not in the Centre of the building
and it is too close to such a large
building as the State House to show
its proper proportions, it should be
to itself, with trees & walks around it.

There should be a tunnel built from
the State House to the basement of the
Record Office, and the boiler that heats
the State House should be removed to
that fire proof basement, and pipes
carried through the tunnel to heat the
State House as the furnaces discharge a large quantity
of carbonic acid gas in the State House and all the
expense of ventilation has not remedied it and it is
dangerous to the health of the occupants.
The trees on the Hill look as if the
birds had dropped the seed, trees should
not be nearer than 30 feet to each other.
There are 23 Popular trees that should be
cut down, and 17 cedar trees, that should
be removed to other places, there are
123 trees on the hill all told, there
should be 200, planted in proper
places and distance.
There are 34 trees around the circle,
6 of them should be cut down & 10 more
planted.

There should be 50 iron seats with slab
bottoms, or Rustic Seats, the old wooden ones
should be removed.

All the Iron should be painted with
one coat of red lead & two coats of
green to harmonize with the grass.

The Treasury building should have
3 coats of Stone Color paint.

The Pavement in front of Main Entrance
of the State House, leading to Francis
Street should be taken up and graded
with two steps to each fall.

I have planned this as a Public Commons,
not as a Public Garden, there should
be no flowers, or shrubbery, about the
grounds, as the state will not pay to
take care of such things, let it have
walks, shade, & grass, and it will look
well enough, and be useful.

I would recommend to your Honorable
Board if it is possible have
the improvements made this year, as it
will be to the interest of the working
people of Annapolis, there are a large
number without work in Annapolis
this season owing to the high prices of
building material, all building has
stopped, your improvement requiring but
a very little material, it being mostly
laboring work, which can be had
at a very moderate prise at this
present time.
                    Respectfully yours,
[signed]                Daniel M. Sprogle