 |
| The Stone House at Harper Park |
East of Leesburg, Virginia on Route 7 is a small stone building. Charming yet forlorn, it is known as the Stone House at Harper Park.
This one-room building was built in 1822, and was used as a tavern for travelers. At the time, taverns were places to eat, drink, and to rest for a night or so. It did pretty well in that capacity for many years, the owner at one point buying a slave to work there. In the 1960's, it served as a gift shop, but then sat vacant for a couple decades.
In 1996, work began on the Potomac Station housing development, threatening the house's existence. Thus the Hamblet family, descendants of the Harper family (of Harper Park) and current owners of the house, conveyed the house to Loudoun County to be moved down the road and used as a tourist information center and museum. The Stone House was loaded onto a trailer and driven 800 feet to its present location. A preservation group was formed shortly thereafter, the Friends of the Stone House at Harper Park, seeking to raise funds, stabilize the building, and guide its future use. "This place has welcomed so many travelers over the years, we want to restore it to what it used to be, a welcome center for people who are commuting," said Joan Coullahan, one of the Friends, "We also want it to be a living history, not just a rest stop, but a place where people can get to know what western Loudoun is all about even before they get there."
The Friends were awarded some grants for the Stone House, including one for $100,000. Unfortunately, the Friends and the County eventually determined restoring the house and making it usable was costlier than expected, and abandoned their efforts. In 2007, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors conveyed the house and property back to the Hamblet family. The Friends of the Stone House at Harper Park slowly dissolved, their last activity disbursing their remaining funds to other historical and preservation societies in Loudoun County. Since then, the house has sat without any future plans, watching the cars zoom by on Route 7.
 |
| Side of the Stone House |
 |
| Stairs down to basement/crawl space |
 |
| Back corner of the Stone House |
 |
| Backside of the Stonehouse |
 |
| Some wood rot |
It's such a pretty little building, it seems a shame it hasn't found another use. The thing is, I don't think it is enough of a draw to be fiscally solvent and stand by itself. I've always thought it would be great for it to be added to Market Station in downtown Leesburg, which is a shopping complex composed of historical buildings that were moved together and readapted for retail use. Another option could be the Purcellville Gateway Center route, where they built and integrated new buildings with the property's historic farmhouse, barn, and silo. Or it could be a wing of a residential house, there's a cul-de-sac right behind the Stone House that could easily make room for a driveway access point.
In 2015, the last time an article was written about the property, a member of the Hamblet family was quoted as hoping that "the building would survive the test of time." I too hope the Stone House will keep standing the test of time, waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment