Maryland reopens 'new' Historical Society

BALTIMORE — The original sheet on which Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner," a stone that marked the Mason-Dixon line in the 18th century, and an authentic Revolutionary War uniform are among the treasures on display at the newly reopened Maryland Historical Society.

The society reopened in November after being closed for renovations for six months. "Roofs were leaking, the buildings had not been as well maintained as they should have been, the collections were deteriorating, we did not have a lot of storage space, staff was too small and the funding was inadequate," said MHS Director Dennis Fiori. The society spent $30 million — most of it from donations — to buy three buildings and renovate its campus.

The new three-story museum houses two new exhibits: "Looking for Liberty: An Overview of Maryland History," a timeline of Maryland history, and "Maryland through the Artist's Eye," a visual arts collection portraying the state's land and its people. In February, an exhibit on Baltimore's 1904 fire will go up.

The overview exhibit on the first floor features paintings, artifacts and oral histories that trace Maryland's pursuit of liberty and the state's role in the development of the nation, particularly in the areas of religion and as a border state during the Civil War.

The exhibit is broken down into themes of liberty, such as land and property, worship and belief, and defense and protection. The latter section is the home of the original document of "The Star-Spangled Banner," by Francis Scott Key.

"This is really not only an opportunity for Marylanders to understand their history, but it's for Americans to understand their history," said Nancy Davis, deputy director for the museum.

A case holding a reproduction covers the original poem Key wrote on Sept. 14, 1814, when he saw an American flag still flying over Fort McHenry after the British attacked it in the War of 1812. The case retracts for 10 minutes at the top of every hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to display the authentic version.

Kevin Brookes of Frederick designed and engineered the case that holds poem. He said preservation and security were important.

"It would take 15 minutes to forcibly enter the case," Brookes said.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the museum's top draw, but there are many other notable pieces, including a Mason-Dixon stone marker, circa 1767, from the line that divides North and South, and a fired-clay storage pot from between 500 B.C. to 200 B.C.