Moorefields
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Why it's listed
Moorefields is a small Federal country house west of Hillsborough, built in 1785 by Alfred Moore while he served as North Carolina's attorney general. The two-story central block is three bays wide and flanked by one-bay wings, all covered in molded weatherboards. Inside, a side hall holds a closed-string stair with a Chinese Chippendale balustrade, and the parlor has a mantel regarded as one of the earliest expressions of Federal design in the Piedmont. Moore, a Revolutionary War officer and judge, later served on the state supreme court and then the United States Supreme Court from 1799 to 1804. He left the house to his son Alfred, a legislator and speaker of the House of Commons, and it stayed in the family until a public sale was advertised in 1913. Restoration began in 1949, and the house is now in excellent condition. It is valued both for its Moore family associations and its early Federal architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the politically prominent Moore family, notably Alfred Moore, a soldier, state attorney general and U.S. Supreme Court justice. It is also architecturally important as one of the earliest appearances of the Federal style in North Carolina, with well-executed mantels and a fine Chinese Chippendale stair.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000982, listed April 25, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of jct. of SR 1134 and 1135, Hillsborough |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | April 25, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000982 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Alfred Moore (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition after restoration begun in 1949; used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 8.3 |
| Coordinates | 36.05208, -79.14501 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000982.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19817694
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.