The Only Constant is Change

The Only Constant is Change. Old Stone House. , The scene before, beside, and behind you has changed a lot over time. Part of the stone structure on your left faced quiet, residential Bridge Street in a busy port city in Maryland when built in 1766. By the late 1800s, Bridge Street became M Street NW, a major commercial thoroughfare in Washington, DC. Between 1800 and 1950, a series of businesses operated in the stone building, including a clockmaker's shop, paint-finishing and glazing business, and a convenience store. Families lived upstairs., Historic maps and records highlighted wooden buildings on this lot between 1800-1950, including a blacksmith's shop, a lunchroom, licensed heating and plumbing, clothing shops, domestic residences, and stables. Ironically, no records revealed a garden here., A case of mistaken identity saved this site from development in the mid-1900s. People erroneously thought George Washington worked and slept here while planning the Capital City in 1791. On January 24, 1960, the National Park Service opened a museum at the Old Stone House., Today, visitors can tour the Old Stone House (hours vary) and explore this garden filled with boxwoods, roses, Irish yew, peonies, irises, asters, and more. Wander through the garden for a few magical moments of solitude in the city., [Captions:] , The image on the right is from the 1903 Sanborn Fire Insurance map and shows Lot #3, the addresses, and structures on the lot., This advertisement from The Washington Post appeared in 1914. Historic advertisements tell us more about who was living and working on the lot., A small sea of cars graced this lot in the 1940s during the Parkway Motor Company history., Garden restoration supported by: Constitution Chapter, District of Columbia National Society Daughters of the American Revolution