The Philip Moore, Jr. Stone House was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1975, and is one of the few primitive
homes remaining in Southern Ohio. The original deed describes
the property where the house stands as being on an outlet of
Old Alexandria, the first village established in this area.
In 1797,
Revolutionary soldier Philip Moore came down the Ohio River
on a flatboat with his wife, Jemima, and children, Philip, Levi,
John and Elinor. Moore and his family landed at Old Alexandria
where he built this house and lived there with his family.
Over
the years, the house was changed and "modernized" many times.
In 1973, Dr. Louis Chaboudy bought the house and began a complete
restoration inside and out to return it to its original condition.
It was purchased in July of 2005 by Steve Hayes.
The Stone
House has served the community as a preferred, historic stop
for tourists and visitors to our area. The reason for the Floodwall
Mural Project was to use tourism to turn our economy around.
With the new Visitor's Center, tourism will continue to grow.
Keeping as much actual history intact in our area is important
to the success of our area.
This
house is known as a Pennsylvania Stone House, and the windows
bear the keystone design above them. The sandstone used to build
this house was cut from a nearby hill and dragged over to build
the house. On top of that hill is the cemetery where Philip
and Jemima are buried. Philip's headstone can be seen in the
Stone House where it was placed by a Moore relative who found
it vandalized.
During
this time period, Methodist Circuit Riders or itinerant ministers
met here to formulate plans for religion. Bishop Francis Asbury,
America's first Methodist Bishop sent from England in 1771 by
John Wesley, held the first religious service in the County
in this house.
The History
of Scioto County names Bishop Asbury, Reverend Henry Smith,
Henry B. Bascom, and Peter Cartwright as the early leaders.
The Reverend William McKendree was the first Bishop of the Scioto
Circuit as well as the Presiding Elder.
Methodist
churches of Portsmouth and Scioto County have their origins
in the Philip Moore, Jr. Stone House, known as the "Cradle of
Methodism." This shrine cradles the infant Bigelow church which
later became the mother of four other churches: Franklin Ave.,
Trinity, Manly Chapel, and The Terminals.