18th century In 1764, Christopher and Rachel Layman bought Lot Three, a piece of land in
Georgetown's commercial district. They paid £1 10s. and financed the construction of a simple one-room house the following year. The lot faced Bridge Street, now known as
M Street NW. The Laymans' only possessions listed in the inventory when he died were Christopher's tools, a stove, Bibles, and some furniture. Christopher died unexpectedly in 1765, and the widowed Rachel Layman remarried two years later. She sold the house to another widow, Cassandra Chew. Chew was a member of the
upper-middle class and owned several properties in and around Georgetown. Because of her wealth, Chew was able to finance the construction of a rear kitchen in 1767 and a second-floor addition to the house between 1767 and 1775. The third floor originated in a property line dispute during the 1790s; the original west wall had been constructed six feet (2 m) beyond the property line and had to be dismantled. Chew used the opportunity to add the upper floor, which was completed by 1790. Washington and L'Enfant held their meetings at
Suter's Tavern, a former building owned by John Suter near 31st and K Streets, NW. At the time, John Suter Jr. was renting a room at the Old Stone House. For many years, locals believed that Washington and L'Enfant had met at the Old Stone House instead. This folklore is why the house was never demolished, and for many years a sign hung over the front door which said, "George Washington's Headquarters." After some research done by the National Park Service, they learned that the folklore was not true. By the time they had discovered that they already owned the House and the property.
20th and 21st centuries Over the years, the house had been used as a shop for hats, tailors, locksmiths, clockmakers, house roofers, and house painters. The Old Stone House was still privately owned in 1953, serving as a used car dealership with the backyard converted to a parking lot when the
U.S. federal government purchased the property for $90,000 ($ today) and transferred it to the
National Park Service for management. Between 1953 and 1960, the National Park Service removed most 19th- and 20th-century intrusions to the home, and the parking lot was redeveloped as an
English garden. After the renovation, the Old Stone House was opened to the public in 1960. It became a part of the
George Washington Memorial Parkway. Stewardship of the house was later transferred to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In the late 1980s, stewardship of the Old Stone House was transferred to the
Rock Creek Park administration. ==Architecture==