The Old Stone House was built in 1765 and is the oldest unchanged building in Washington, D.C. The house is also Washington's last Pre-Revolutionary Colonial building on its original foundation. Unlike many Colonial homes in the area, sentimental local folklore preserved the Old Stone House from being demolished.
The Old Stone House was constructed in three phases during the 18th century and is an example of vernacular architecture. During its history, the house was started as a one-story building and gradually became a used car dealership later. After a renovation in the 1950s, the Old Stone House was turned into a house museum.
The Old Stone House stands among the neighborhood's stores and restaurants as an example of local history for tourists, shoppers, and students. Today, the home is 85% original to its 18th-century construction.
References:The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.
The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.