The Old Stone House

The Old Stone House dates back to 1766 and is the oldest structure in its original location in Washington, D. C. It is located in Georgetown at 3051 M Street NW, which is across the street from the corner of M Street and Thomas Jefferson Street. There is an alley on the left side of the house that leads to a pay parking lot. You can also park on the street, though spaces are hard to come by.

The house is mainly visited out of curiosity by those passing by while out shopping or dining along M Street. The architecture is certainly unique, and the fact that a single house sits by itself on a street lined with one building after another will certainly catch one’s eye. The house is open from 11 AM to 6 PM on Friday through Monday, excepton Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. However, if staffing is thin it may close down at lunch time or whenever an errand has to be run. When I arrived there was a “Be back in 30 minutes” sign on the door, so I waited in the garden at the side of the house. Keep in mind that operating hours can always change, so if you are traveling specifically to see the Old Stone House, be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Old Stone House web page for Rock Creek Park.

It is an interesting story as to why the Old Stone House was never torn down to make way for progress. As it turns out, George Washington used a nearby tavern owned by John Suter as an office when he was in the area. About a decade after Washington’s death in 1799, Suter’s son, John Jr., rented a room in the Old Stone House and ran a clock business. It is the association with Suter that caused a mix-up, and local legend soon had it that it was the Old Stone House where Washington used to come. Since the house took on a faux historical significance it was never torn down.

The Old Stone House was built by Christopher Layman for his wife and two sons. It originated as a single story building with just one room. The lower level kitchen and the two upper levels that exist today were added by the second owner, Cassandra Chew, in 1775. In 1807 the house was inherited by Mary Brumley, the daughter of Chew, and when she died in 1826, the house went to her daughters. After that it was sold a number of times and saw both residential and commercial use. When the Federal Government purchased the house in 1953 it was the office of a used car dealership. The business’s parking lot was where the current garden is now located. The early residents would never have had a formal garden, for any yard area was used to grow food or house animals the family relied on for food. After renovation, the National Park Service opened the house to the public in 1960. At the time it was part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The house was transferred to Rock Creek Park in 1980.

When the house is open you can come inside for a tour. If there are enough Rangers on duty they may give actual tours, but most of the time you are on your own. All three floors are open and furnished per the time period with actual antiques donated by Georgetown residents when the house opened in 1960. Plan to spend about a half hour for a tour.