[1] The Old Stone House, or Athenian Hall, was built in 1836 by Alexander Twilight, the nation's first African-American college graduate.

Over the following two years the present stone house was erected following the lines and general appearance of a similar building, quite possibly Painter Hall at Middlebury College; however, detailed information is not available on how the granite structure was built.

A representative of the railroad in the state of Vermont bid on the structure with the hopes of using the granite stones for bridge abutments.

The Orleans County Historical Society bid at the price of $500 (the equivalent of $10128 in current dollars) and won the auction.

It is dedicated to the history of the last two centuries in Orleans County, Vermont, and to the life of Alexander Twilight, the first African-American college graduate in the U.S. and state legislator.