Arguably the finest of the surviving Late Gothic houses on the territory of Bohemia, the Stone House is a masterpiece of the architecture of burghers' houses in general. The house was built already in preHussite times, and the spacious cellars and original lay-out date from that period. After the Hussite revolt, the house was owned by wealthy butchers. It was rebuilt in its present appearance by Briccius Gauske in 1489 for Prokop Kroupa, an influential aristocrat involved in the mining business. The master builder had always focused on stonemasonry and this was a perfect opportunity to display his art, in the deep reliefs and openwork ornaments in particular. The Stone House was rebuilt several times, and frequently changed hands until it became municipal property in the 19th century. In the course of the reconstruction undertaken in 1901-1902 by Ludvik Labler, the house acquired its present appearance. It then began to be used as a museum.