Old Stone House

Old Stone House was built in 1766 by Michael Braun, a German immigrant. More interesting facts about this historic two-story, Georgian-style mansion:

• Michael Braun was a wheelwright that came to Rowan County in the late 1750s after spending 20 years in Pennsylvania.
• Upon arriving in Rowan County, he purchased 274 acres of land close to the middle fork of Crane Creek. Once the property acquisition was complete, he began building Old Stone House.
• Old Stone House was built with 3,500 tons of granite sourced from a quarry and transported to the property by oxen.
• It took seven years to complete the construction of Old Stone House
• Old Stone House’s foundation goes 12 feet into the ground, and as far as 15 feet in some parts.
• The stones on the side and back of the house were unpolished before installation, but the stones on the front were polished and shaped to match one another and improve the frontal aesthetic of the building.
• The shingles used on the gable roofing of Old Stone House were carved from cypress wood shipped in from the coast.
• Braun was a farmer and is also believed to have set up western North Carolina’s first printing press.
• During his about 40-year stay in Old Stone House, Braun amassed over 3,000 acres of land.
• Today, Old Stone House is considered to be the oldest structure in Rowan County and a well-known landmark.
• The Braun family lived in the Old Stone House until 1904. Benjamin Sumner purchased it in 1911.
• The house was abandoned for a while during the early 1900s. It was vandalized during this time, and a lot of the masonry and wood was destroyed or removed.
• The Rowan Museum purchased the property in 1959 for $10,000 and spent $27,000 restoring it. After restoration, the property was turned into a museum.

Well Doctor LLC in Granite Quarry is a 6-minute, 2.6-mile drive to The Old Stone House via S Main St.

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