Habre-de-Venture, a 1771 Georgian mansion near Port Tobacco, Maryland, was the home of Thomas Stone, a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is now known as the Thomas Stone National Historic Site.
©National Park Service
The Thomas Stone National Historic Site was once
the estate of a prominent colonial politician.
In 1775, Stone became a Maryland representative in the Second Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia. His legal knowledge and writing skills made him a valuable member of the Congressional committee that completed the first draft of the Articles of Confederation in 1776. Though he is a little-known political figure in history today, Stone was important to the development of Maryland and the United States.
Stone's Habre-de-Venture plantation was made a national historic site in 1978, one year after fire swept through the main block of the house. The National Park Service restored the house to its late-nineteenth-century appearance, opening its doors to the public in 1997.
Habre-de-Venture is a five-part colonial plantation house; two hyphens connect the central block of the house to its east and west wings. The wings of most five-part houses extend in a straight line, but the wings at the Thomas Stone House form a graceful arc.
Thomas Stone National Historic Site Information
Address: 6655 Rose Hill Rd., Port Tobacco, MD
Telephone: 301/392-1776
Hours of Operation:
- Memorial Day - Labor Day: daily, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Labor Day - Memorial Day: Wednesday - Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Closed Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1
Admission: Free
Learn more about these other national historic sites:
To learn more about national national monuments, memorials, and historic sites, and other travel destinations in North America, visit:
- National Monuments: Learn more about America's national monuments.
- National Memorials: Discover national memorials in the U.S.
- National Historic Sites: Read about American national historic sites.
- Maryland State Guide: Learn about Mobil Travel Guide-rated hotels and restaurants in New York as well as other recreational activities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eric Peterson is a Denver-based freelance writer who has contributed to numerous guidebooks about the Western United States.
