Moore, J.W.R., House
Also known as: J.W. Miller House; J.C. Biller House; 265-5002
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 for J.W.R. Moore, this white-painted brick house sits at the north end of Mount Jackson, set back from the Old Valley Pike with a circular drive and views toward the Massanutten Mountains. It has two unusually tall stories, a three-bay front with a slightly projecting center bay, an L-shaped plan, and a square belvedere topped by a spire. Elaborate wood trim includes paired scrolled consoles under the cornice and an arched-trim front porch. A December 1871 newspaper account credited R. S. Jones as architect and contractor, Thomas J. Burk with the brickwork, and Isaac Sheetz with the woodwork. The house was once the center of a 200-acre farm and still has a brick icehouse/smokehouse/summer kitchen and a frame tenant house. It is recognized for its Italianate design, which enlarged the traditional Valley I-house with applied ornament, and for its agricultural setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding example of the Italianate house type in Shenandoah County, with unusually elaborate wood ornament on an enlarged version of the traditional Valley I-house form. It is also significant for its association with agriculture, and the craftsmen who built it are unusually well documented for a house of its period.
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 05001275, listed November 16, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5588 Main St., Mount Jackson |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | November 16, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001275 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1871-1955 |
| Architect / builder | R. S. Jones |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The main house is in very good condition, the icehouse/smokehouse/summer kitchen is in fair to poor condition, and the tenant house is in fair condition and partly renovated. The house was recently rehabilitated and is still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 5.6 |
| Coordinates | 38.75387, -78.63445 (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 05001275.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229066
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.