Students from Coyote Valley Elementary School tour the Stone House each spring, Many are awed by the idea of making your own French fries, although cutters similar to this 19th century model are still on the market. Courtesy photo.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The Historic Stone House in Hidden Valley Lake will hold its annual Christmas Open House on Saturday, Dec. 4.

The house will be open for viewing from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., while across the way in the activity room, Stone House members will be offering homemade cookies and other finger foods, music, cider, wine and coffee.

The earlier-than-usual opening is hoped to encourage families with children to attend prior to seeing the tree lighting at the Hidden Valley Lake Golf Club starting at 5 p.m. But all residents and neighbors are invited; non-residents should simply leave their name at the Hartmann Road gate when entering.

Stone House is the oldest building in Lake County. It was built in 1853-54 by 24-year-old Robert Henry Sterling, who was ready to settle down after ten years of seafaring.

The house was owned for more than 50 years by Charles Marsh Young, who once owned one-half of Middletown and ran the Lake County Hotel there.

In 1942, the Frank Hartmann family added Stone House and its acreage to their adjoining property.

It was a rental property and residence until the middle 1960s when the property was bought by U.S. Land Co., a subsidiary of Boise-Cascade, to build the resort/retirement community that became Hidden Valley Lake.

Stone House is preserved and maintained as a community treasure by the Stone House Historical Society. It is furnished with an eclectic mix of mostly donated period pieces, representative of the lifestyles of the past 150 years.

Recent acquisitions include two christening gowns made by Velma Brooks Young and a handmade doll in authentic Friesian costume that belonged to Elly Hartmann as a child. Both date to the early 1900s.

There is no charge for the open house. Call Bonney Jorgensen, 707-987-8764, for further information.