Etching of the Old Dutch House, Long Island, circa 1907, from Eugene L. Armbruster photographs and scrapbooks

Built in 1699, the Old Stone House was originally home to a family of Dutch farmers.

On August 27th, 1776, barely two months after the Declaration of Independence was made public, the Old Stone House served as the location for one of the first major battles in the Revolutionary War; the Battle of Brooklyn.

The Battle of Brooklyn was a significant defeat for the American Continental Army. Realizing that they were outnumbered five to one, General William Alexander and Major Mordecai Gist led a regiment that came to be known as the Maryland 400 (although there were only about 270 soldiers) against 2,000 British troops. They fought to cover the retreat of another 9,000 American soldiers, led by George Washington himself. They were able to escape in a strategic retreat through the Gowanus Canal, across the East River, and safely into Manhattan.

The British troops defeated the Maryland 400 due to their superior numbers. In the aftermath, the British began their occupation of both Brooklyn and Manhattan.