Thomas O. Carter built the Stone House in 1848

Nestled within the Manassas National Battlefield Park, the Stone House stands as a two-story stone structure in Prince William County, Virginia. Built in 1848 by Thomas O. Carter, this structure was established as a stop on the Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike. During the American Civil War, the Stone House served as a hospital during the First and Second Battles of Manassas. Today, it is owned by the National Park Service as a contributing property to the park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

By the latter half of the 18th century, European immigrants settled the tract where the Stone House now stands. Wormeley Carter received the tract from his father in 1801, but by 1805 he had sold off much of his land. In 1808, the Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike Company was formed to construct a 28-mile toll road from Fairfax Court House to Fauquier Court House. This road was intended to help Alexandria compete with Fredericksburg for trade. Construction began in 1812, and it took 16 years for the road to reach Fauquier Court House, then known as Warrenton.

Wormeley Carter's son, Thomas Otway Carter, inherited the tract, though there is little indication he added anything to it. The first record of a structure on the tract appeared on an 1830 tax return after Thomas Carter sold 148 acres and the house to John Lee in 1828. While physical descriptions of the house at that time are unknown, a woman named Mary "Polly" Clark operated a wagon stand at the toll gate, where travelers paid a toll and likely received food, drink, and possibly lodging. During the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861, the house was captured by Union forces and later became a hospital for surgeons and soldiers due to its strong stone walls and nearby well.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons