| Thomas Stone National Historic Site | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Location | Charles County,Maryland |
| Nearest city | St. Charles |
| Coordinates | 38°31′52.2″N77°2′21.3″W / 38.531167°N 77.039250°W /38.531167; -77.039250 |
| Established | November 10, 1978 |
| Visitors | 6,351 (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Thomas Stone National Historic Site |
Habre-de-Venture; Thomas Stone National Historic Site | |
 Haberdeventure, Front View, September 2009 | |
| Location | 6655 Rose Hill Rd., near jct. with MD 225 and 6,Port Tobacco, Maryland |
| Area | 360 acres (145.7 ha)[1] |
| Built | 1771 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Visitation | 4,500 (2005) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001595 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 31, 1972[2] |
| Designated NHS | November 10, 1978 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971[3] |
TheThomas Stone National Historic Site, also known asHaberdeventure or theThomas Stone House, is aUnited StatesNational Historic Site located about 25 miles (40 km) south ofWashington D.C. inCharles County,Maryland. The site was established to protect the home and property ofFounding FatherThomas Stone, one of the 56 signers of theUnited States Declaration of Independence. His home and estate were owned by the Stone family until 1936.
Stone purchased Haberdeventure in 1770 and began construction of a new home in 1771. Stone's original plan was to build a small, modest home for him, his wife Margaret, and their two daughters but before the house was completed, his father died and five of his younger brothers and sisters came to live with him at Haberdeventure creating the need for larger living quarters. During the 1780s, the Haberdeventure plantation probably supported about 25 to 35 people, including a number ofslaves. By the time of Stone's death in 1787, Haberdeventure had increased in size from 442 acres (1.79 km2) to 1,077 acres (4.36 km2). Stone was buried in the family cemetery adjacent to his home.
Descendants of Thomas Stone continued to own Haberdeventure until 1936 when the land was sold.
The house was declared aNational Historic Landmark in 1971.[1][3] The brickwork of the house is done inFlemish bond.[1]
The property was privately owned until 1977 when a fire severely damaged the central section of the house. Haberdeventure was authorized as a National Historic Site a year later in 1978 and was purchased by theNational Park Service in 1981. Restoration efforts on the historic structures began at this time but the house was not opened to the public until 1997.
Today, avisitor center located at the site has exhibits on the Declaration of Independence and the life of Thomas Stone. Guided tours of Haberdeventure are also offered. In 2008, the Thomas Stone National Historic Site ranked 344th among 360 sites where the National Park Service tracks attendance with 5,720 visitors.[4]
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) andAccompanying photos, exterior and interior, from 19 (32 KB)| Topics |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Lists by county | ||
| Lists by city | ||
| Other lists | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
