Maryland Department of General Services Unveils Livestream Video of the State House Dome
Marylanders Can See Our Flags at Any Time, Day or Night
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services today announced a new feature on its website, offering a livestream video of the Maryland State House dome. This new, state-of-the-art streaming service shows the U.S. and Maryland flags flying in real time atop the dome, a first for the state of Maryland.
“Maryland has the most historic state house in the country, and the ability to livestream video of its most prominent architecture. the dome, brings Maryland into the 21st century,” said DGS Secretary Ellington Churchill, Jr. “Through technology, we allow both Marylanders and visitors to see the dome and the status of U.S. and Maryland flags from anywhere in the world, whether in Westminster, Maryland, Westminster, California, or Westminster, England.”
General Services’ Maryland Capitol Police is responsible for raising and lowering the U.S. and Maryland flags on the State House dome. Flags may be ordered at half-staff by either the president or the governor. In 2019, General Services lowered and raised the U.S. and/or Maryland flags on 14 separate occasions.
In 2018, the department revealed an improvement in the State House infrastructure to illuminate the Maryland State House dome. The new LED lighting package provides greater and brighter light spread across the dome, with a fixture capacity of approximately 30,000 lumens, allows for more aspects of the Maryland’s historic dome to be seen clearly. The improved system allows the dome and be seen from more vantages around the Annapolis area. The system has a total of eight lights, two per corner of the dome. For each tandem light, one light will point at the lower dome and the other light points toward the acorn of the dome to illuminate the U.S. and Maryland flags.
The State House dome was fashioned by shipwrights using rot-resistant cypress logs and no metal nails. Instead, it is held together by wooden pegs reinforced by iron straps forged by an Annapolis ironmonger. The exterior was completed in 1788 and the interior was completed in 1797, making this iconic Maryland symbol over 232 years old. Maryland State Archives records note the lightning rod at the top of the dome was constructed and grounded to Benjamin Franklin’s specifications. The State House dome flag system is incorporated into the lightning rod with a system of ropes and pulleys.
The public may access the live-stream images of the State House dome and flags by visiting the General Service’s website, dgs.maryland.gov, and clicking the link on the lower right-hand corner of the General Service’s home page, or at the following link: Maryland State House Dome Flag Status.
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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.
