IMPORTANT HISTORICAL DOCUMENT...
"JANY 16 1896
THE COMMITTEE ON STATE HOUSE ON THE PART OF THE SENATE BE AUTHORIZED T0O EMPLOY SUCH ASSISTANCE
AS THEY MAY THINK NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDER RELATIVE TO ASCERTAINING
THE CONDITION OF THE SENATE CHAMBER AND ITS APPROACHES. HENRY D. COOLIDGE CLERK"
4 PAGE SHEET, 1 PAGE USED... SCAN 2 SHOWS OUTSIDE FOLDED, NO OTHER WRITING ON THIS SIDE.
PENCILED BELOW "NILES". HE WAS A STATE SENATOR, ALSO A DENTIST.
WILL SEND INSURED WITH TRACKING
Key Historical Timeline of The Senate Chamber
- 1795–1798: Designed by Charles Bulfinch and originally built as the House of Representatives Hall
- 1895–1898: Following the construction of the Brigham addition, the House of Representatives moved out, and the space was adapted to become the Massachusetts Senate Chamber in 1898. [
- 2018–2019: The chamber underwent a major $22.6 million restoration to return the room to its historic 1898 appearance while adding modern HVAC, accessibility upgrades, and technology. [
Henry Dingley Coolidge (1858–1922) was a long-serving official who worked as the Clerk of the Massachusetts Senate for 33 years.
- Birth and Background: Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on August 26, 1858, to Henry James and Mary Martin Coolidge. He was a direct descendant of Mayflower pilgrim William White.
- Senate Career: He was appointed assistant clerk of the Massachusetts Senate in 1886 and then elected as its Clerk in 1889, serving continuously in that position until his death in 1922.
- Author and Authority: He revised and updated the Manual for the Use of the General Court (first in 1889 with subsequent editions), which became a standard, widely used legal and parliamentary reference work in Massachusetts.
- Death: He passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 7, 1922.