The Old Stone House, part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C.

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.

Garden on the side of the Old Stone House, part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C.

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 (then called the Union Tavern) 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 Rachel Layhman, the wife of Christopher Layhman, after his death in 1764 (Layhman had purchased the property earlier). 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, between the late 1760s and the 1790s.

In 1808 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). 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.

Visitors are welcome to step inside whenever the house is open. In the past, the upper floors were accessible, but due to structural problems, visitors are now only allowed on the lower floor. There is not much to see other than a fireplace and information about the history of the house. A gift and souvenir store takes up most of the space.

Fireplace on the lower level of the Old Stone House, part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C.

Information on display inside the Old Stone House, part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C.

Gift and souvenir store inside the Old Stone House, part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C.

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