Georgetown's Old Stone House
Written by DCist contributor Ben Schuman-Stoler.
You have probably walked by the modest Old Stone House on M Street countless times while in Georgetown, perhaps wondering when it's going to be converted for the next Starbucks. The House, actually run by the National Park Service, has seen nearly two and a half centuries on what used to be known as Bridge Street during colonial years.
The plot was purchased for one pound and ten shillings in 1764 and over the years held a clockmaker, some fifteen slaves, and a used car dealership, the last of which (while using the garden space as its parking lot) was bought out by the government in 1953, for $90,000.
Among the frenetic M Street shopping routes the Old Stone House stands as a reminder of times without designer clothes and status symbols. Stand in one of the rooms upstairs -- crouching from the low ceiling, taking in the quaint brick walls and the handmade wooden beams -- and look out a window: there you are, in the middle of the 18th century, amid artifacts of a no-car, handmade-goods lifestyle, and you can look out onto the busy intersections where cars and factory produced goods clog the streets.
Although the tiny building might not reprieve anyone of their Georgetown claustrophobia, the sweet smelling, meditative garden beside it just might. The space is narrow but long and green, with small footpaths through the shrubs and flowers, and its entrance is covered by a large weeping willow which helps the garden’s atmosphere by blocking out the sounds of the street.
Whats more, access to the House and the garden is free, so the garden doesn’t only serve as part of the House’s accoutrement -- it can also be a place to catch your breath in between errands.
If there is a downside to the House it is the fact that with only five rooms to see it’s hardly worth making it the focal point of an entire day. But then again, its manageable size also improves its status as an M Street pit stop, and maybe new perspective on the here and now.
The Old Stone House is open for viewing Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m., the bookstore is open every day from 12 to 5 p.m., and the garden is open every day during daylight hours.
Image courtesty The Old Stone House's web site.