The Moore House is a historic building located within

Colonial National Historical Park Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is operated by the National Park Service of the United States government. The park protects and interprets several sites relating to the Colony of Virgini ...

, in York County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, it was the site of negotiations for British

General Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United ...

's surrender at the

Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

History

The house was erected around 1725 on a 500-acre parcel of land called Temple Farm which also included a dam and grist mill. The land was originally granted to the

Crown Governor of Virginia This is a list of colonial governors of Virginia. Some of those who held the lead role as governor of Virginia never visited the New World and governed through deputies resident in the colony. Others, such as Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, hel ...

John Harvey John Harvey may refer to: People Academics * John Harvey (astrologer) (1564–1592), English astrologer and physician * John Harvey (architectural historian) (1911–1997), British architectural historian, who wrote on English Gothic architecture ...

in the 1630s and was known as the York Plantation at this time. Lawrence Smith II later built the Moore House on Temple Farm and the home stayed within the family until 1754 when his son, Robert, sold it to his brother-in-law Augustine Moore to avoid financial woes. Augustine and his family fled to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

to avoid the

Siege of Yorktown

General Cornwallis requested a cease fire on October 17, 1781, and selected the house as the site for surrender negotiations, likely due to its neutral and convenient location. Washington's and Cornwallis's representatives met at the house the following day, where they negotiated Articles of Capitulation. A rough draft was delivered to Washington's headquarters that night, where he made minor changes. The revised articles were agreed to and signed on October 19.

Later history

The House passed to Hugh Nelson in 1797 following the deaths of Augustine and his wife. It had several owners over the years and was significantly damaged during the 1862

. Later the house's wood was pilfered by soldiers for fire fuel. The house was not repaired until the advent of the Battle of Yorktown Centennial Celebration in 1881. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

restored the house between 1931 and 1934 using historic photos. It was dedicated on 18–19 October 1934. The restoration work was the first of its kind undertaken by the

References

External links

* {{Authority control Houses in York County, Virginia American Revolutionary War sites Museums in York County, Virginia Historic house museums in Virginia Colonial National Historical Park Historic district contributing properties in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in York County, Virginia Treaty signing historic sites 1725 establishments in Virginia Houses completed in 1725