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Old Stone House . Washington D. C. 5.5" x 5.5" x 3" tall
Built in 1765, the "Old Stone House" is the oldest standing building in Washington DC. It was built by Christopher Layman, a cabinetmaker, as both a residence and a shop. The exterior of the house is constructed of locally quarried blue granite. Layman died shortly after constructing the house and it was sold to Cassandra Chew who added a wing to the rear of the building in 1767. The location of the house, on a main thoroughfare, made for excellent road traffic from the Western frontier. And throughout its history the building was used as a residence/shop. Claims have persisted for years that George Washington used the Old Stone House as his headquarters when choosing land in 1791 for the nation's capital. In the same vein, some thought that Pierre Charles L'Enfant worked there while he laid out the city's design. in 1950, Congress authorized the house as a historic site and showcase of the earliest days in the nation's capital, the legislators cited the "great pre-Revolutionary architectural merit" of the structure. It is a good surviving example of pre-Revolutionary American architecture and is administered by the National Park Service. |
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