The Little House in the Big House

Dad began building the Moore House model around 1977 with the intent to have it completed for the 1981 centennial of the Battle of Yorktown.

The Moore House the location at which General Cornwallis chose to dwell in while making final negotiations of surrender in the American Revolution). Remarkably, it still stands today after much restoration through the years.

Dad’s goal – to build an exact replica of the house.

After 17 years (1993), Dad had completed most of the model but became to ill to get down to the basement to finish it. Dad passed away in 1996. For the next 20 years The Moore House has sat in the basement of the Big House collecting dust.

David and I showed it to Bruce Brown, the Modelist & model ship / workboat restorer for the Watermen’s Museum.

Bruce agreed to tackle the monumental task of restoration and completion of the replica.

The Moore House was brought to the Watermen’s Museum in November of last year and Bruce began the research and restoration process that would finally finish the project our dad started decades ago.

The Moore House replica is close to completion and will be moved to the main foyer of the Hornsby House next Wednesday. From there it will be moved to a suitable new home in one of the Museums in Yorktown.

Thanks to Bruce Brown and the Watermen’s Museum, the Moore House model will be completed , all be it, 36 years late.

Bruce is shown here cutting the wall paper for the surrender room. The house will also be completely furnished with period furniture as well.

-Phil Bowditch

If any one should feel the urge to make a donation to the Watermen’s Museum please consider it. The address is; Watermen’s Museum, P.O. Box 519, Yorktown, Va.  23690