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040 LEt
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<br /> a ( ' MOOREFIELDS FOUNDATION
<br /> MIT 111 R"t:1-'11 2201 hloorefields Road
<br /> 1 i illsborotigh, N.C. 27278
<br /> tii �1S2(iY Ilia Norlll Carolina legislatuure, which nowadays convenes in Raleigh, was a traveling road show during
<br /> the late eighteenth century. l iillsborough was a regular slap, and attracted many influential men, among them W ) Insington 's
<br /> Alfred Moore, a Revolullooary War hero and one of Noah Carolina 's foremost ) urisls.
<br /> lu 1785 Moore built a summer home on 1 , 202 acres about three miles from Ilia courthouse hs Hillsborough, and
<br /> named It hloorefields. 'lite house, which look three years to complete, occupies a site once tailed Crayfields, where Orange
<br /> Counly held its first Court of Common ( ' leas and Quarters in 1752, Iwo years prior to I Iiliisborough 's founding.
<br /> Moore was North Carolina ' s altorney general at the lime lie built his mountain retreat . later In iris career Moore
<br /> served as a member of eaciu iwuse of the stale legislature and as a elate Superior Court Judge. lie barely missed election to
<br /> the U. S. Senate in 1794, and helped draw up Ilia founding documents for the University of North Carolina at New flops
<br /> Chapel, today 's Chapel Bill. Moore 's career of public service was capped in 1798, when he became the second North
<br /> Carolinian appointed to serve as an Associate Justice on the U. S . Supreme Court.
<br /> The man for whom Moore Comely (Sanford) is named relired from the beach in 1805 and died five years later at
<br /> file age of 55. Ile is burled at Old Brunswick near Wilssnhsglon.
<br /> Qver the years most of Maorefields' acreage was sold off, wills ilia house and land inulledlately surrounding It
<br /> remaining In Ilse family until 1911 . litany of hloore's descendants are burled in a s( one- walled family cemetery several
<br /> hundred yards soulhwest. of the house; funds from Ilse estate of a ) tile 1I1113borougls schoolteacher, Miss Annle Cameron,
<br /> Delp maintain Ilia sylvan spot.
<br /> In 1949 Moorefieids was purchased by UNC drench professor f dwrrd llnayer Draper-Savage, . later discovered to
<br /> be related by marriage to Alfred Moore.
<br /> Draper- Savage performed an awar& winnissg reslural Ion of the house, which was added to the National Register of
<br /> I listoric places on April 25, 1972. A painter and sculptor, Draper- Savage also laid out lawns, flower beds, and a format hedge
<br /> garden and park.
<br /> Upon Mr. Draper- Savage 's de ,►th in 1978 -- he is buried ) test west of llte house, among his beloved tale —
<br /> ownership of the property fell to lire F,ffIs [raper Savage- Neille Draper Dick Memorial foundation for line Preservation of
<br /> Moorefields. Ilse Mooreflelds Foussdalion is administered by ► Ise Trust Department of Central Carolina Bank, which
<br /> oversaw stabilization anti renovation of ilia Douse Ire 1983.
<br /> 110.101! Alfred Moore carefully situated his house atop a hill where It would catch the prevallitug etuuurer breeze.
<br /> According to legend, Ilse Moores came west from " Beau Clsoix," their plantation near Wilminglon, to enjoy Ilia house 's
<br /> cooling charms from May unlil Ilse hard frosts of October. Now a curator inhabits hloorvfields yeareround.
<br /> l Ise (sauuse at hfoorefieids is archilecittrahiy dislingtulslsed as one of llte earliest examples of ilia Federal style in
<br /> North Carolina. ') he building's exterior appearance, as well as its Interior layout, are little changed from 1785. Ilse house
<br /> features a etpaelous "Great I fail" wills well • execuled reeded manlel. Porlrtiils anti furniture lit lire room come from Draper-
<br /> Savage's fansUFrA rare Chinese Chippendale staircase marks the fall central hallway, and ilia house's matching twonroons
<br /> w11169 feature flreptaces, waiuscoling and additlossal artworks and aid itl tie •furnlshings. .
<br /> SaRQUNVI fifty oaks planted around the house A the lime of its construction consbined with the overhanging front porch
<br /> to aid In cooling the Interior. All tout two of those trees have died, bill maples and oaks were plaited during Ilse early 1980s
<br /> to lake their place. A rluarler- mile of privet hedges, four acres of lawns and wildflowers, flower beds, nature trails, woods,
<br /> camhsilea, and 40 acres of permaneut pasture further grace Ilia property.
<br /> ' 1 he grounds are nsafuta ) ned as a wildlife refuge, and every effort is made to woek in consonance with nalum
<br /> VIES Ilse hImrefieIds Faundallives is dedlcaled to preserving the house and grounds ashloorefields, and to nuking those
<br /> resources accessible to ilia public by apivo lost nsent . Ilse property Is available for use by artists, causpers, hikers and
<br /> picnickers, as well as for conferences asset recel•lions. Contributions are retiulred of those hosting group events`
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