Stone House: Witness to War

Stone House: Witness to War. Manassas National Battlefield Park. , The historic Stone House, constructed prior to 1850, stands as one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Manassas Battlefields. Early owners established a tavern here, serving weary travelers along the Warrenton Turnpike (U.S. Route 29 today). By 1860, however, wagon traffic had declined, as farmers transported their agricultural products to market via the rapidly expanding railroads at nearby Manassas Junction., During the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in July 1861, the Stone House stood near the center of combat and soon became an obvious oasis for the wounded. Swelling quickly to capacity, the house sheltered many soldiers, one of whom reported, "the rattle of musket balls against the walls of the building was almost incessant.", At the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862, Union General John Pope made his headquarters on adjacent Buck Hill. Again, the house filled with injured soldiers, two of whom carved their names in an upstairs room. Following the battle, Federal surgeons, operating under a flag of truce, tended to the wounded here while the victorious Confederates used the house as a parole station for prisoners of war.