The Old Stone House is an architectural gem in the City of Winooski. Built by Roswell Butler in 1790, it is the oldest building in the City. Butler was one of Ira Allen’s partners in the rafting business that started at the Winooski Falls in that timeframe. The historic significance of this building has been preserved over its lifetime. The property has long been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior and the Vermont Registry of Historic Places by the State of Vermont Division of Historic Preservation.

The building serves as a rare example of early American architecture. Modified Georgian in design, the house is constructed of sandstone which was likely obtained from areas surrounding the Winooski River.

Once known as Brownell’s Tavern, it has been recorded that both Ira and Ethan Allen frequented the establishment for a pint or two along with local residents, jurors, and lawyers. When the Vermont Supreme Court was riding circuit in the late 1700s and early 1800s, it held sessions within the Stone House walls. Further, the Colchester/Winooski boundaries were established at the Stone House by their respective governing bodies.

Over the years, the building has had internal modifications to adapt it to tenement housing purposes. In 1850, as many as four families occupied the house simultaneously. The property was conveyed to the City in 1975 by Fred and Rita Demers and underwent further renovations which were finished just in time for it to serve as the centerpiece of the City’s Bicentennial Celebration in July, 1977. Since then it has been home to the Andre Perrault Record Company, the Winooski Historical Society and professional offices. In 2006, Joe and his wife purchased the property from the City, which has since served as the home of Gamache Law Offices, P.C.