Thomas Stone paid $400 for 442-acre Maryland estate; it became historic site

A historic Maryland plantation once bought for £400 by a signer of the American Declaration of Independence has survived centuries of private family ownership and a nearly fatal house fire to become a national historic site. The Haberdeventure estate, near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland, remained in the hands of Thomas Stone and his descendants for 166 years. Today, preserved as the Thomas Stone National Historic Site, the property offers a look at early American history and the way land was owned and passed down.Early land trades and survey errorsLong before American independence, the land changed hands many times. According to historical records published by the National Park Service, a 150-acre plantation called "Habberdeventure" was first established by John Barefoot. His family cleared forests and built the first farm structures. In 1708, John Lambert bought the property for 500 pounds of tobacco, several casks and other considerations.