Moore, John, House
Also known as: DHR File No. 81-28
Why it's listed
Set at the base of Big House Mountain above Kerr's Creek, this brick farmhouse near Lexington was completed in 1831 for John Moore and his wife Betsy Cunningham Moore. Moore gathered the former Cunningham lands and built up a farm of more than 800 acres. The two-story, three-bay house has handmade bricks fired on the property, a stone foundation, and paired fanlit entrances on the front. Inside, a center-passage plan holds an open-well staircase, fluted door surrounds with concentric-circle corner blocks, and Federal mantels carved with sunburst motifs that may reflect Germanic influence. Family recollection credits an Eastern architect with the carved work. A stone spring house of about 1830 stands near a spring-fed pond. The house was listed for its architecture, as a carefully preserved local interpretation of the Federal style. An archaeological site from an earlier dwelling on the land is recorded but counted as non-contributing for now because of limited documentation.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved local example of domestic architecture showing a personal interpretation of the Federal style, built for a prosperous farm family. Its refined interior woodwork draws on Federal precedents and folk traditions. It is eligible under Criterion C in Architecture at the local level.
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 99000728, listed June 25, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 183 Big Hill Rd., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Rockbridge County |
| Listed | June 25, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000728 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830-ca. 1840 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling, with a 1993 rear ell and porch added; the spring house is also still in use as a secondary structure. |
| Acreage | 10.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.86108, -79.55145 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 99000728.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229673
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.