Standing here before the Old Stone House, can you feel the weight of history pressing in? This isn’t just another building. It’s the oldest unchanged structure in D.C. on its original foundation.
Built in 1765, the Old Stone House predates the American Revolution. Imagine life in Georgetown back then. It was a booming port for tobacco. Christopher and Rachel Layman constructed this simple one-room house. They used blue granite and fieldstone quarried nearby. Ballast stones from English ships also became part of its sturdy walls. These two-foot-thick walls kept the heat in and the elements out. The floor was packed dirt. The ceiling was low.
Homes were self-sufficient. The land around the Old Stone House provided everything. Herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, chickens, cows and pigs. African-American slaves provided the labor. Christopher died unexpectedly that same year. Rachel sold the property to Cassandra Chew. She was a wealthy widow. Chew expanded the house adding a kitchen and upper floors.
The materials she used were of higher quality. The style was different. Walking upstairs, it feels like entering another house. Chew’s daughter, Mary Smith Brumley, inherited the Old Stone House. She started using it as a business. She also owned slaves. One slave, Tabitha, could buy her and her daughter’s freedom for $201.
Locals believed George Washington and Pierre L’Enfant met here. They thought it was Washington’s headquarters during city planning. This belief saved the Old Stone House from demolition. The National Park Service bought it in 1953 for $90,000. That is over $800,000 today.
A historian later discovered the meetings actually occurred at Suter’s Tavern. The Old Stone House was renovated anyway. It became a house museum furnished to match the 1800s era. Most furnishings were donated by Georgetown residents. The only original piece is a grandfather clock made by John Suter Jr.
Today, the Old Stone House stands as a time capsule. But don’t let its peaceful look fool you. Some say it is haunted. Over the years, people have reported seeing eleven different spirits. A woman in a brown dress. A blond man in a blue jacket. A woman rocking on the third floor. Children running and laughing.
One spirit is particularly nasty. They call him “George.” He reportedly attacks people by biting, scratching, pushing, and choking them. Women, beware. He hates women and attacks them first on the third floor. Some say he was a murderer in his previous life. Visitors often feel dread within the house. Cold spots linger even in summer. It might be George telling you to leave.
The National Park Service now manages the Old Stone House as part of Rock Creek Park. It’s been a National Historic Landmark since 1973. Today, it is valued at over $7 million. The Old Stone House offers a glimpse into the past. Just be careful on the upper floors. You never know who or what you might encounter.