Standing on the front porch of Stoney Castle and looking out across its expansive front lawn, one has a commanding view out over the Potomac River and into Virginia with the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance. I sometimes wonder if this view into the “south” from Stoney Castle’s porch had any influence on Elijah White, who was born at the home in 1832 and would later lead a confederate cavalry unit (consisting of many Poolesville natives) during the Civil War.
No one (or record) seems to know the complete story of who built Stoney Castle and when. We know that Stephen Newton White, of the prominent and local 19th Century White Family, purchased the land where Stoney Castle sits from Thomas Fletchall in 1831. There is indication that some structure, having been built as early as the late 1700s, was present when the White Family took possession of the land, but the structure we see today was likely completed in the 1830s. It was in this home that multiple generations of the White Family lived until 1949, when the home was sold outside of the White Family.
While the “L” shape of the home is somewhat common of old homes here in the Ag Reserve, the unhewn stone construction with large quoining stone blocks, combined with the double chimneys on each end and center roof gable, give it an appearance that is truly unique here in the Reserve. The interior of the home reminds me of the description used at Chiswell’s Inheritance: “An elegant compromise of the rugged demands of the 18th century farm life and those of the well-to-do gentleman planter’s family.” Inside the front door, the foyer is possibly the widest I have seen in the Ag Reserve, with a large turning staircase against the far wall (similar to the stairs at the Thomas Poole House in the center of Poolesville). This is truly a special old home.
