--- title: "Thomas Stone National Historic Site: A Port Tobacco Landmark" description: "Thomas Stone, a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence, is tied to Port Tobacco in Charles County. See what the National Park Service says." url: https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/thomas-stone-historic-site-port-tobacco publisher: Real Property Management Gold phone: +1-301-392-2172 assessment: https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/contact-us#assessment --- # Thomas Stone National Historic Site: A Port Tobacco Landmark The National Park Service lists Thomas Stone as a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in 1743 and tied to Port Tobacco in Charles County. He is buried at Thomas Stone National Historic Site, which has a mailing address of 6655 Rose Hill Road, Port Tobacco. Check the park's page for hours and tours. LocalPublished October 22, 20263 min read ## Who was Thomas Stone, and why does Port Tobacco matter? The National Park Service (NPS) lists Thomas Stone as a “Maryland Signer of the Declaration of Independence.” Its quick facts give Port Tobacco, Maryland as his place of birth and 1743 as his birth year. The article on the same page says he was born at Poynton Manor in Charles County. NPS says Stone and 55 others signed the Declaration of Independence. Stone signed on August 2, 1776. He later served in the Maryland Senate and died on October 5, 1787, at age 44. ## What is Thomas Stone National Historic Site? It is an NPS site in Port Tobacco. The NPS page for the site mentions the Stone house, called Haberdeventure, and a Stone family cemetery where Thomas Stone is buried. Fact What NPS says Site name Thomas Stone National Historic Site Mailing address 6655 Rose Hill Road, Port Tobacco, MD 20677 Phone 804-224-1732, extension 227 Burial place Stone Family Cemetery, at the historic site Visitor links Plan Your Visit, park map, guided tours, audio tour This post does not give hours. NPS keeps them on its Plan Your Visit page, and they can change. Check that page before you go or before you print hours anywhere. ## How can an owner write about a landmark without steering? Write about the place. Do not write about the people you hope to attract. The fair housing rule is simple: a listing describes the home and what is near it, never who should live there. The [Fair Housing Act](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/fair-housing-act) entry gives the background. Here is a short checklist for a Charles County listing. 1. Use the official name: Thomas Stone National Historic Site. 2. Give a distance you measured on a map, not a drive time. 3. Say what NPS says, such as “a National Park Service site”. 4. Do not add claims about schools, crime or quiet. 5. Link to the NPS page so readers get current hours. ## What rental rules apply near Port Tobacco? The Maryland People’s Law Library table, last updated September 22, 2026, shows no long-term rental license for Port Tobacco or for Charles County. The towns of La Plata and Indian Head do require a license. The county has posted a proposal for a countywide license that is anticipated to begin July 1, 2027 and is subject to final adoption. Read [our post on the proposal](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/charles-county-rental-license-proposal) for the dates and fee. The [rental license](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/rental-license) glossary entry defines the term. The [Southern Maryland rental license guide](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/landlord-center/southern-maryland-rental-license) compares the counties. Our [Charles County page](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/areas-we-serve/charles-county) lists the towns we serve there. The [days on market](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/days-on-market) entry explains one number owners watch when they list. ## What does NPS say about Thomas Stone’s life? NPS says Stone finished his legal education by 1765 and practiced by riding a circuit between Port Tobacco, Frederick and Annapolis. At 31 he joined the Charles County Committee of Correspondence. The next year he was chosen for the Second Continental Congress. NPS says he gained a reputation as a cautious, deliberate man who wanted peace, and that he joined other delegates in pushing for the Olive Branch Petition to King George III. In 1777 he left Congress for the Maryland Senate in Annapolis, partly because of his wife Margaret’s health. His family left Haberdeventure in 1783. Margaret died in June 1787, and Stone died four months later. NPS also states plainly that Stone held as many as 30 enslaved African Americans who performed the labor that supplied his wealth. A local history post should not skip that fact. ## What else does the NPS site offer? The NPS home page for the site lists these items. 1. A Plan Your Visit page with hours, directions and a park map. 2. An interpretive audio tour called Winds of Revolution. 3. A Junior Ranger program. 4. A historic resource study of the people who lived at Haberdeventure from 1770 to 1787. 5. Pages on guided tours, pets and accessibility. Link to the NPS pages in your own materials. They are the source of record for hours and rules. ## Next step Own a home in Charles County and want a real rent number? Request a free assessment at [/contact-us](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/contact-us) or call (301) 392-2172. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who was Thomas Stone? The National Park Service lists Thomas Stone as a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence. It gives his birth year as 1743, his place of birth as Port Tobacco, Maryland, and the date of his death as October 5, 1787. He is buried at the historic site. ### Where is Thomas Stone National Historic Site? The National Park Service lists its mailing address as 6655 Rose Hill Road, Port Tobacco, MD 20677, and its phone as 804-224-1732, extension 227. Its Plan Your Visit page carries current hours, a park map and guided tour details. ### Does Port Tobacco require a rental license? The Maryland People's Law Library table, updated September 22, 2026, lists no long-term rental license for Port Tobacco or for Charles County as a whole. The towns of La Plata and Indian Head do require one. Confirm with the town or county before you list. ### Can I use a landmark like this in a rental listing? Yes, as a fact. Use the official name, the address the park lists, and a distance you measured on a map. Do not say who would like it. Describe the place, not the person. Link to the NPS page for hours. ## Terms on this page - [Fair Housing Act](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/fair-housing-act) - [Days on market](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/days-on-market) - [Rental license](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/rental-license) ## Sources 1. [National Park Service: Thomas Stone](https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-stone.htm) 2. [National Park Service: Thomas Stone](https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-stone.htm) 3. [National Park Service: Thomas Stone National Historic Site](https://www.nps.gov/thst/) 4. [National Park Service: Thomas Stone National Historic Site, contact](https://www.nps.gov/thst/) 5. [National Park Service: Thomas Stone, signing date](https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-stone.htm) 6. [Maryland People's Law Library: Rental license requirements by county and municipality](https://www.peoples-law.org/rental-license-maryland-county-city-municipality-town-search) Checked against the sources above on October 22, 2026. Laws, fees and programs change, so check the linked page before you act. ## Keep reading - [Indian Head Rail Trail: What the 13-Mile Trail ConnectsThe Indian Head Rail Trail is a paved trail of about 13 miles that links the Town of Indian Head with the White Plains area of Charles County. It follows a former railroad corridor through the Mattawoman Creek stream valley. Owners can cite it in a listing as a fact, with the official name and a measured distance.](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/indian-head-rail-trail) - [Calvert Cliffs Fossils: What Maryland DNR Says About the ParkMaryland DNR states that fossils of over 600 species have been found along Calvert Cliffs. Calvert Cliffs State Park sits at 10540 H. G. Trueman Road in Lusby. DNR also warns that climbing on or walking beneath the cliffs is prohibited because of landslides, and that collecting fossils beneath the cliffs is illegal.](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/calvert-cliffs-fossils-lusby) - [9 Questions to Ask Your Property Manager Before EOYWith the end of the year coming soon, now is a great time to evaluate your Southern Maryland rental property as you would other investments.](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/year-end-review-with-property-managers) ## Ask what your home could rent for. Free. A free rental assessment from our offices in Lexington Park and Waldorf. No cost, no contract, no pressure. [Request a free assessment](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/contact-us#assessment)[(301) 392-2172](tel:+13013922172)