Maryland Department of General Services Celebrates Maryland Day
Hand-held flags distributed to guest of state facilities in honor of the day
BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) will commemorate the founding date of Maryland, March 25, 1634, today by presenting 1,634 hand-held Maryland flags to visitors and employees at Department of General Services facilities in Baltimore and Annapolis.
“The Maryland Flag may be the most unique state flag, with the proudest citizens always willing to display it,” said General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry “DGS continues the tradition of giving out Maryland flags to wave with pride and celebrate our state’s great history.”
The first European settlers landed in Maryland on March 25, 1634, and called the area the Province of Maryland. Maryland was granted statehood April 28, 1788, but it wasn’t until 1903 that Maryland Day became an official holiday. In 1916, the Maryland General Assembly authorized Maryland Day as a legal holiday.
The Maryland state flag was officially adopted in 1904. The Maryland flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families; Calvert being the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black; and Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, with their colors of red and white.
Today, Maryland flags will be distributed at the following locations in Annapolis and Baltimore.
Annapolis:
Maryland State House – State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401
Attman-Glazer Building – 45 Calvert Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Treasury Building – 80 Calvert Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Community Place – 100 Community Place, Crownsville, MD 21032
Baltimore:
State Center – 201, 300, & 301 West Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
William Donald Schaefer Building – 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
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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 but not limited to procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as inventory control, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security with statewide jurisdiction in state-owned buildings, state leased facilities, and surrounding areas.
