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Manassas Stone House, Then And Now

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

Nearly every day on my way home I pass through the Manassas Battlefield Park.  I had two relatives fight in those battles.  One was a 13 year old drummer boy with romantic ideas who ran away from his home in Upper Marlboro Maryland to follow his elder brother into the war.  That is an interesting family story in itself.  The elder brother survived the war.  The drummer boy did not survive the Second Battle of Manassas and is buried somewhere on the battlefield.

A prominent memorial feature of both battles is the old Stone House.  It was located right in the middle of the battlefield and was used as a hospital for both First and Second Manassas.

 

This photo was snapped after the second battle of Manassas.

It is part of a collection of recently discovered and fabulously preserved Civil War photos that can be seen at:

http://www.mikelynaugh.com/VirtualCivilWar/New/Originals2/index.html

Behind and to the left of the house can be seen a hill, which is far steeper than it looks here.  Covered with fencing and topped with an array of cannons during the war, that hill is now a wonderful place to go for sledding.

It is interesting how things can change with time.

 

 

On my way home yesterday I noticed that nobody was there.  The place is usually crowded with tourists.  So I stopped by to do a Stone House home inspection!

I took the opportunity to stop and snap this photo, from nearly the same position as the one taken during the Civil War.  To take the photo from the same position I would have had to stand in the road, VA Route 29!

The house is substantially similar to its appearance during the war.

It is very well preserved, right down to the initials and names carved into the floors by recovering soldiers.

 

 

How did the masons get those corner stones to stack so neatly and have such sharp corners?

Look closely - they chiseled them!

Every one.  Slowly hand chiseled, individually, and the process must have taken some time.

On some aspects of the walls you can see some of the original mortar, which surprisingly has lasted this long.  It is a bit sandy, but looks and feels original.  That would make it older than 150 years.

There has been virtually no movement of the house all these years.  Some of the window sills have cracked, which you can see here, but none of the lintels or corners.  The place was obviously founded really well.

Also, some of the window panes are very wavy, indicating that they are original as well.

Such original, wavy windows can be seen on many historical buildings in the area, including Monticello and Mount Vernon, and the antebellum Red Fox Inn, in which some of the Revolutionary War was planned.

Enjoy!

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments (11)

Craig Richardson
National Realty - McLean, VA

Jay, I love driving through there as well.  Lots of history, that's for sure.

Apr 03, 2010 12:51 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Pretty cool old structure----built back when people had a lot of time to kill:)

Apr 03, 2010 05:19 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Jay,

When I was a kid I was fascinated by the civil war.

Apr 03, 2010 09:56 AM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

  I am sure Scarlett's spirit is there somewhere sewing her "frock" from the drapes....and the mint julips....and.....ahhhhh

Apr 03, 2010 11:09 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Craig.  That photo was on my trip following an inspection with Brian Block.  I was on my way to the next appointment!

Charlie - that house was originally called the Matthews House.  So it must have been the Matthews family, or help, which constructed the place, and had the time to kill.  It was a farm house.  Can you imagine waking up one day to hear the train bringing thousands of troops to barracks on your property and then a few days later to have a bona fide battle open up!?

Steve - as was I.  We played Civil War in the neighborhood.  We all had muskets and hats and plastic swords.  My favorite present as a kid was the Civil War plastic soldier set with over 100 pieces!

Sally - if perhaps she isn't still stuck on the stone bridge just up the road.  I will make that the subject of another photograph when I have time to stop.

Apr 03, 2010 11:27 PM
Diane Williams
Pell City, AL

How interesting, I love history.  It must have been hard on the families not to get their family members back when they were buried somewhere on the battlefield. Nice picture and good post.

Apr 05, 2010 12:54 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Diane - and the graves were not always very deep and had to be redone after heavy rains washed the soil off!  There are various cemeteries on the battlefield, but many of the gravestones have no names.  I don't know where my relative is buried.

Apr 05, 2010 03:12 AM
Mike Gillingham
Eastern Iowa Inspection Services LLC - Walker, IA

Very COOL Jay! I wish they taught our children more about our short but colorful history in school. I really enjoyed the brief story of your distant relatives. It must have been heart breaking for a 13 year old kids mom to lose her son like that.

Apr 05, 2010 06:27 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

There is an interesting story about that relative Mike.  He had run away from home, and no one knew where he was.  My great, great grandmother took a nap and had a dream that a fire ball cut off her son's head.  She woke with a start.  The family lore has it that at that very moment a cannon ball was fired and took the boy's head off.  A bit weird...

Apr 05, 2010 09:15 AM
Steve Hall
RE/MAX United - San Marcos, CA
Make the Call to Hankins and Hall

Enjoyed VERY much.  Thank you.

Apr 09, 2010 08:18 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Steve - I am glad you are pleased!  There are many other site on the battlefield I intend to post about.

Apr 09, 2010 10:34 PM