This small quaint seaport has roots back to April 7, 1730 when Isaac and Jonathan Green Sr. purchased from Ebenezer Harker "a certain plantation and track of land containing by estimation 441 acres situate lying and being in ye Carterett in ye county of province of aforsaid being ye west side of ye mouth off White Oak River." By 1771 Theophilus Weeks started a town on his plantation, laying out a plat and selling lots. Formerly known as Bogue, Week's Point, The Wharf and New Town, the town was officially designated by the North Carolina General Assembly on May 6, 1783. Above photo (from North Carolina State Archives) courtesy Jack Dudley, as included in Swansboro - A Pictorial Tribute

Capt. Alexander Moore House circa 1906

Painting by Mary Warshaw 
Prints & Notecards available at Tidewater Gallery
NATIONAL REGISTER of Historic Places - 218 Walnut Street 
Three-bay I-house with wood-shingling in gables, 
two-story ell, two-tier front and ell side porches. 

Alexander Moore descended from a family of seafaring men. His great grandfather Thomas was born on Shackelford Banks in 1775. Alex's grandfather Samuel, born in 1807, was a whaler and known locally as "Old Sam Moore."

Alexander Moore 1862-1937 was the son of 1830 Tyre Moore and 1833 Mary Bloodgood. Alexander married Geneva Moore (1873-1930) about 1890. Geneva was the daughter of Joseph Francis Moore 1849-1926 (son of 1805 Tyre Moore and 1816 Susan Hatsell) and Martha Ann Bell 1853-1917.

Children of Alexander and Geneva Moore: Josephine 1892-1968, Tyre 1896-1964, William born in 1901, Mattie 1904-1993, Clarence 1905-1955, Harry born in 1908, Mary B. born in 1910, Lillian G. born in 1907 and Ralph 1912-1965.

Core Banks Lifesaving Station
When the Core Banks Lifesaving Station was established in 1896, Alexander Moore was its first keeper. According to John Hairr in Outer Banks, this station stood roughly half way between Ocracoke Inlet and Cape Lookout before it was destroyed by fire. Image Courtesy National Park Service, Cape Lookout National Seashore.

On September 17, 1904, Alexander Moore was appointed the first keeper of the Bogue Inlet Life Saving Station. He served until June 15, 1915.

Bogue Inlet Lifesaving Station 
Lifesaving Crew at Bogue Inlet
1870 Census: Straits Township, Carteret County, Beaufort Post Office—fisherman Tyre Moore 41, Mary 37, Samuel 16, Walter 14, Joseph 12, Alexander 8, Willie 4 and John 2.

1880 Census: Straits, Carteret County—huckster Tyre Moore 50, Mary 44, school teacher Samuel 26, sailor Joseph 26, Alexander 18, Willie O. 14, John B. 12, Missouri 9, Walter 3 and servant Henry Jones 60. Tyre Moore became a surfman at Cape Lookout Lifesaving Station.

1910 Census: Alexander Moore was captain at LifeSaving Station at Bogue Inlet. He and Geneva were on Ann Street in Beaufort, Carteret County with children Josephine, Tyre, William O., Mattie, Clarence, and two-year-old Lillian G. Moore. Next door was Alexander’s mother Mary.

1920 Census: Boat carpenter Alex Moore and Geneva were living in Swansboro with children Josie, Willie O., Mattie A., Clarence, Harry, Mary B. and Ralph D. Moore.

1930 Census: Retired Alex Moore and Geneva were in their Walnut Street home with children Tyre, a Coast Guard lifesaver; Josie; William, “boater on periauger;” daughter-in-law Daisy; Harry, laborer on dredge boat; Clarence; Mary B., college student and Ralph D. Moore.

3 comments:

Amelia said...

Hello Mary (and other lovers of Swansboro history). The Swansboro Historical Association is grateful for your attention to our unique past. We will have a booth at the Mullet Festival Saturday to encourage donations for the basic repairs on the Alex Moore House. Our banner will reference the blog. Hopefully more people will check you out. Thanks for all you do.
Amelia

Anonymous said...

Love this house! Can you tell me what the floor plan is like? I am trying to get an idea of how a house was built by a relative in 1900. The second story was taken off in the 1940's and a second house was built with the lumber from the second story. I imagine that when they built the second house, they had to build it similar to the layout of the second story of the original house because they were reusing lumber that had been cut for those particluar dimensions. The home was called "Veranda Heights" and was in Scott County, Arkansas and I have a desire to build a home just like it in honor of my great-grandmother. But, I have to first figure out how it was laid out. It had wraparound porches that wrapped around the entire house on both levels. It was more of a square shape, rather than the rectangular one of this house. I also believe that it was a boarding house in the early 1900's. Thanks so much!

Mary Warshaw said...

You might try contacting the Swansboro Historical Association to see if they can help. The link is included in the post.