The Moore House on the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD TOUR
STOP E: THE MOORE HOUSE
Allow up to 15 minutes for a visit
On October 17, 1781, after being bombarded at close range by both French and American artillery for eight days, British General Charles Cornwallis asked for a cease fire so that surrender terms could be negotiated. Talks took place the next day in the home of Augustine Moore. Washington and Cornwallis did not personally attend the talks but sent two representatives each. The British were represented by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas and Major Alexander Ross, and the American-French alliance sent Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens and Colonel Viscount de Noailles. An agreement was reached late that night.
The Moore House still stands today, though it has been renovated and altered many times. It was nearly destroyed during the Civil War and stood falling apart by the time the National Park Service began a renovation in 1931. It was restored back to its 1781 appearance based on drawings and descriptions from the time, though very little of the house is actually from 1781. Some of the floors and door frames are original, but that’s about it.
As of 2024, the Moore House is closed. If it were to open, a schedule would be posted at the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center. The grounds are open for visitors to explore
All rooms are furnished, with a few pieces being from the Moore family. The rest of the furniture is either reproduction or antiques from the time period. Nobody knows for sure which room was used to sign the surrender documents, though the Moore family claimed it was the parlor, and the parlor is decorated as the signing room.
Parlor of the Moore House at the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
Dining room of the Moore House at the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
Upstairs bedroom of the Moore House at the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
A cemetery is on the property, but most graves have nothing to do with the Moore Family. Two are from the 1780s—Mildred Jamison (1778) and John Turner (October 13, 1781)—and others are from the mid-1800s. Turner was a merchant who was watching the bombardment of Yorktown when he was accidentally killed. He was brought to the Moore House for medical attention, where he died. For whatever reason, he was buried in the Moore family cemetery. His epitaph hints that he was killed by a stray bullet:
Ah cruel ball so sudden to disarm and tare my tender husband from my arms…
There are homes next to the Moore House, and the house itself has had roughly fifty owners since the Revolution, so while the cemetery may have originated as the Moore Family cemetery, over the years it appears to have been used by whoever lived in the area.
Grave of John Turner in the Moore House Cemetery on the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
Grave of Anna Shield in the Moore House Cemetery on the Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park
If open, plan to spend 15 minutes at the Moore House. Otherwise, all you can do is stop, take a photo, and read the information on a wayside exhibit outside the house.
Next Stop: Surrender Field | Previous Stop: Redoubts 9 and 10 | Yorktown Battlefield Tour
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Last updated on July 16, 2024
