[4] White Stone traces its earliest colonial history to the arrival of Epaphroditus Lawson, who was born in Yorkshire, a county in northern England.

[5] In 1649–50, Epaphroditus acquired 4,600 acres of land along the Rappahannock River, including the present site of White Stone, where he lived until his death in 1652.

Another story has the town's name deriving from an 1819 church deed, which identified a property boundary as being "near the road leading by the white stone.

[9] Following the Civil War, White Stone had developed a small, thriving business community, including a general store, choral hall, and a hat-maker.

[11] Ultimately, the city of White Stone's "heyday" was during the late 19th and early 20th century, with the population having stagnated since the American Census of 1960, the first taken after the town's incorporation.

[10] Today, White Stone remains a small, rural town, with a focus on tourism: the area is home to a local seafood market, the Allure Art Center, and other attractions.

[12] Additionally, the town has recently received state and federal grants to develop a sewer system and to revitalize its business district.