Moore House (Yorktown, Virginia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Moore House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Virginia
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| Nearest city | Yorktown, Virginia |
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| Built | ~1725 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Restored | 1931–1934 |
The Moore House is a very old and important building. It is found inside Colonial National Historical Park in York County, Virginia. This house became famous during the American Revolutionary War. It was here that British General Charles Cornwallis agreed to surrender after the Siege of Yorktown.
The Moore House Story
The Moore House was built around 1725. It stood on a large piece of land called Temple Farm. This farm was about 500 acres and also had a dam and a mill for grinding grain.
The land was first given to John Harvey in the 1630s. He was the governor of Virginia at that time. The area was known as the York Plantation. Later, Lawrence Smith II built the Moore House. His family owned the house until 1754. Then, his son Robert sold it to Augustine Moore. Augustine was Robert's brother-in-law. Robert sold the house to avoid money problems. Augustine and his family left the house and went to Richmond to stay safe during the Siege of Yorktown.
The Yorktown Surrender Site
On October 17, 1781, General Cornwallis asked for a stop to the fighting. He chose the Moore House for surrender talks. It was a good spot because it was easy to reach and was not controlled by either side.
The next day, representatives from General George Washington and General Cornwallis met at the house. They worked out the "Articles of Capitulation." These were the rules for the surrender. A first version was sent to Washington that night. He made a few small changes. Everyone agreed to the final rules and signed them on October 19.
Later Years of the House
After Augustine and his wife passed away, the house went to Hugh Nelson in 1797. Over the years, the house had several different owners. It was badly damaged during another battle called the Siege of Yorktown in 1862. Soldiers even took wood from the house to use for fires.
The house was not fixed until 1881. This was for the 100-year celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. The National Park Service then carefully fixed the house between 1931 and 1934. They used old photos to make it look just like it used to. The restored house was officially opened on October 18–19, 1934. This was the first time the National Park Service had ever restored a historic house in this way.
