The Old Stone House
A young woman named Eleanor Strange inherits a mysterious old stone house from a distant relative. Upon her arrival, she discovers that the house has been abandoned for years and is filled with cobwebs and dust. As she begins to clean and restore the house, strange occurrences start to happen, leading Eleanor to suspect that the house may be haunted by a malevolent spirit. She enlists the help of her friend and detective, James Fenimore, to uncover the truth behind the haunting. Together, they unravel a complex web of secrets and lies that surround the house's history, leading to a shocking conclusion.
By Anna Katharine Green · First published 1902 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Historical Fiction · 27,885 words
First lines
I was riding along one autumn day through a certain wooded portion of New York State, when I came suddenly upon an old stone house in which the marks of age were in such startling contrast to its unfinished condition that I involuntarily stopped my horse and took a long survey of the lonesome structure. Embowered in a forest which had so grown in thickness and height since the erection of this building that the boughs of some of the tallest trees almost met across its decayed roof, it presented even at first view an appearance of picturesque solitude almost approaching to desolation. But when my eye had time to note that the moss was clinging to eaves from under which the scaffolding had never been taken, and that of the ten large windows in the blackened front of the house only two had ever been furnished with frames, the awe of some tragic mystery began to creep over me, and I sat and wondered at the sight till my increasing interest compelled me to alight and take a nearer view of the place.
What this Textopian page supports
The Old Stone House is listed on Textopian as a novel by Anna Katharine Green, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Anna Katharine Green
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, Gothic Fiction
- Length: 27,885 words
- Structure: 1 section, 348 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Old Stone House by Anna Katharine Green
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Old Stone House?
- How does this novel by Anna Katharine Green fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Mystery — Anna Katharine Green was a renowned mystery writer, and 'The Old Stone House' features elements of mystery, involving a complex plot with numerous twists.
- Detective Fiction — Green's detective characters, such as Ebenezer Gryce, are key to the solving of the story's main conflict.
- Historical Fiction — The setting of 'The Old Stone House', as well as its plot and characters, are consistent with a period of historical significance.
- Crime — Elements of crime can be found in the book, as it revolves around a crime that needs to be solved.
Tags
mystery · thriller · detective · crime · suspense · historical · fiction · novel · classic · literature · american · gothic