Old Stone House to Close for More Than a Year
By • October 23, 2017 0 829
On Oct. 30, the Old Stone House, located at 3051 M St. NW, will close for more than a year — through Dec. 1, 2018 — for the installation of a new fire-suppression system and structural rehabilitation work, according to the National Park Service.
For the upcoming work, the Park Service has shortened visiting times to one of D.C.’s oldest buildings. Through Oct. 29, hours will be 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
A ranger will explain the different aspects of the work on the home. NPS adds: “Museum collection items have been relocated to a climate-controlled facility and will be returned when construction is complete.”
The following is background information from the Park Service: The Old Stone House, constructed circa 1765, is one of the oldest buildings in Washington, D.C. The desire to honor and remember George Washington combined with fuzzy memories led to the Old Stone House’s preservation, while so much changed around it. People believed the Old Stone House to be the location of an inn — Suter’s Tavern, named after its owner, John Suter — where George Washington and city planner Pierre L’Enfant stayed when they met to survey the newly established District of Columbia. In reality, Washington and L’Enfant stayed in Georgetown’s Fountain Inn at 31st and K Streets NW. In the (now) Old Stone House, located on Bridge Street (now M Street NW), John Suter’s son, John, Jr., ran a clock shop. The two men with the same name and two nearby locations led to the case of mistaken identity.
The house was the site of a car dealership when the federal government purchased the property in 1953. The National Park Service opened the house to the public in 1960. Today, the house is a rare example of pre-Revolutionary architecture. A clock built by one-time owner John Suter, Jr., is part of the Old Stone House furnishings.
