Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Capital For A Summer
Foiling Maryland Secession
The building in front of you, Kemp Hall, was the capitol of Maryland during the spring and summer of 1861, as the state came perilously close to leaving the Union. Because secession would have placed the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C. between the Confederate states of Maryland and Virginia, President Abraham Lincoln could not let it happen.
Two weeks after the Confederate capture of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Maryland Gov. Thomas H. Hicks called the General Assembly into special session here in Frederick, a strongly Unionist city to debate secession. The state capital, Annapolis, was seething with resentment over the recent Federal occupation of that city.
Both the Senate and the House of Delegates began the session on April 26, 1861, in the former Frederick County Courthouse building located two blocks west of here. The next day, the senators and delegates moved here to Kemp Hall, a larger meeting space that belonged to the German Reformed Church.
As early as June 20, under Lincoln’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, Federal troops began arresting suspected pro-secession legislators, starting with Delegate Ross Winans of Baltimore, who was stopped on his way home from the session here. He, like several other lawmakers, was confined briefly under Lincoln’s orders.
The legislature continued to meet here at Kemp Hall throughout the summer. Finally, lacking a quorum—primarily because of the arrest of so many secession-leaning senators and delegates—it adjourned in September without ever considering a secession bill.
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Maryland Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1925.
Location. 39° 24.916′ N, 77° 24.64′ W. Marker is in Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker is at the intersection of East Church Street and North Market Street, on the right when traveling east on East Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Frederick MD 21701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Kemp Hall (here, next to this marker); In April 1861 The Legislature Of Maryland Met Here In Special Session (here, next to this marker); The News (a few steps from this marker); Cultures Meet (within shouting distance of this marker); John Thomas Schley (within shouting distance of this marker); Hood College (within shouting distance of this marker); The Congregation in Frederick (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Hood College (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Frederick.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 988 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 3, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on February 1, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 5. submitted on March 19, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 6, 7. submitted on December 7, 2023, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 8. submitted on December 3, 2023, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.