Monday, August 18, 2014

In Manassas the Stone House lives to tell the tale of two U.S. Civil War battles



Stone House in Manassas Battlefield Park
Stone House as it stands today
The Stone House in Manassas, Virginia stands on the fields within Manassas Battlefield National Park. The structure had served in many capacities since its original build. It also lived to tell the tale of two major Civil War battles.

Today the property is open to the public.

Run by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), visitors can take a step back into the past and learn about the property and the roles it served during the 19th century. 

In its lifetime, the building had been a rest stop, farm house, tavern, and eventually a Civil War field hospital ─ twice, before being restored back to a private residence. The home survived both the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (also known as the First and Second Battles of Manassas). 

Once it was returned to serving as a private residence, it remained a home until the 1940s. Today Stone House still stands, largely fully intact, perhaps a testament to its resilience and historical roots.

The federal government took ownership of the property in the late 1940s. In the 1960s, the NPS began restoring the structure back to its earlier appearance. It is my understanding the exterior of the house you see today is pretty intact to the original structure.


Credit: Unknown/photo courtesy of National Park Service
The Stone House, Prince William County, Va, as it appeared in the early twentieth century from the rear view.
Much of the home as it exists today is original, but some modifications have been made. Everything has been restored to the way it would have looked during the 19th Century.


Several homes in Virginia have cannonballs embedded in outside walls, having been caught in the crossfire in the U.S. Civil War. To my understanding, the cannonball in this image was added after the war. It has been said a later owner of the house placed cannonballs on the house where damage had actually been done during the Civil War.
There are two primary floors to the building and a basement. Visitors are welcomed to tour the main level; the top floor and basement are typically closed to visitors. However, the top floor has been opened on rare occasion. Unfortunately, I do not have any second floor images.


This room is set up as a space where families would have taken their meals. It is set away across the hall from where the main section of the tavern was located during these years.

The property surrounding Stone House is also a popular destination for hikers. There are many trails throughout Manassas Battlefield Park. Several times a year I head over there to go walking in different seasons.

Manassas Battlefield Park is open daily, year-round (except Thanksgiving and Christmas). Visitors can take both walking and driving tours. There are also frequent interpretive programs scheduled and a small museum inside the visitors center with several Civil War artifacts. 

Stone House (and the Manassas Battlefield Park's Visitor's Center) are located about 25 miles west of Washington, D.C.



Stone House at Sunset

4 comments:

  1. I really need to tour this battlefield. We will have to set up a date for a visit.

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  2. Was there ever an Inn / Restaurant at the location next to the Stone House in the 40’s / 50’s? I have seen photos, but can not find any history on it?

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    1. I'm sorry for the late reply, I had the intention of doing some digging, but unfortunately work has kept me really busy the last couple of weeks.

      I do seem to remember something being there mid-20th century, but not sure it was an inn. I know there were several houses in the vicinity that now have NPS markers, but I'm also not sure if any of them may have served as accommodations? I also seem to recall, but am not 100% sure that there was also once a toll booth at that intersection (but perhaps in the 19th century?)

      If I have time to do some research or stop by the Battlefield to revisit some of the markers along the trails, I'll circle back.

      As an aside, I did notice over the weekend, there is a lot of scaffolding on the Stone House right now.

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  3. Was there ever an Inn (Restaurant) next to the Stone House in the 40’s / 50’s?

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