403 N. Main Street
Charleston, Missouri
573-683-2241
The Moore House is a two-and-one-half story red brick building and is a fine example of the Colonial Revival style of architecture. The exterior of the house features a veranda which spans the primary facade, a profusion of gables and an interior ornamented with rich oak woodwork and fireplaces. The interior of the home features seventeen rooms and contains seven fireplaces and is fully furnished including the original dining room furniture and gas chandelier.
The Moore House was built by James Handy Moore, a leading member of the early Charleston community and a pioneer in the town's business and industry. Moore was the son of a wealthy Charleston family who was the President of Mississippi County Bank, directed the Southeast Missouri Light, Power and Ice Company, and owned a contracting firm. In 1890, Moore married Mary Bird Hunter of Sikeston, whose family had been among the earliest settlers of the area. In 1899, as the father of four small children, Moore decided to build a new, larger home which would be suitable for his prominent position. Moore hired St. Louis architect Jerome Bibb Legg to design the house. Legg is perhaps best remembered for supervising construction of the Centenary Methodist Church in St. Louis and additions and alterations to the Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City. The bulk of Legg's known commissions, however, consisted of houses in the Queen Anne style which proliferated throughout St. Louis' fashionable West End and in other Missouri cities during the 1880s and early 1890s. The Moore House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Moore House was occupied continuously by family members from 1899 to 1977. When the house became vacant in 1977, James Handy Moore, namesake and grandson of the original builder, and his brother, William Bird Moore, deeded the home to the Mississippi County Historical Society.
Visiting the Moore House
Contact the website below for information visiting the Moore House.
There is an admission charge to visit the Moore House
Learn more about the community of Charleston
Mississippi County Historical Society - The official website of the Mississippi County Historical Society which operates the Moore House.