Moore Square Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Moore Square Historic District is a registered historic district
located in downtown Raleigh
, North Carolina
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983, the district is centered around Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre (1.6 hm
) parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan. The park is named after Alfred Moore
, a North Carolina judge
who became an Associate Justice
on the Supreme Court
. Originally a residential neighborhood, Moore Square developed into a primary commercial hub in the city throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district includes East Hargett Street, once known as Raleigh's "Black Main Street", due to the fact it once contained the largest number of businesses owned by African-Americans in the city. City Market
, Marbles Kids Museum
/IMAX
theatre, Pope House Museum
, Artspace, and the Long View Center
are located in the Moore Square district. Events that take place in Moore Square include the Raleigh Arts Festival, Artsplosure
, Movies in the Park, the Street Painting Festival, and the Moore Square Farmer’s Market The approximate district boundaries include Person, Morgan, Wilmington, and Davie Streets.
In addition to its national listing, Moore Square is one of five local historic overlay districts (HOD) in Raleigh.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
located in downtown Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983, the district is centered around Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre (1.6 hm
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
) parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan. The park is named after Alfred Moore
Alfred Moore
Alfred Moore was a distinguished North Carolina judge who became a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Moore Square, a park located in the Moore Square Historic District in Raleigh, North Carolina was named in his honor. Moore was buried at the St...
, a North Carolina judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
who became an Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
on the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Originally a residential neighborhood, Moore Square developed into a primary commercial hub in the city throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district includes East Hargett Street, once known as Raleigh's "Black Main Street", due to the fact it once contained the largest number of businesses owned by African-Americans in the city. City Market
City Market (Raleigh, North Carolina)
City Market in Raleigh is a market located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was first founded in October, 1914. It became known as a historic place when...
, Marbles Kids Museum
Marbles Kids Museum
Marbles Kids Museum is a nonprofit children's museum located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina in the Moore Square Historic District.Its mission is to "inspire imagination, discovery and learning through extraordinary adventures in play and larger-than-life IMAX experiences." It was created...
/IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theatre, Pope House Museum
Pope House Museum
The Pope House Museum, built in 1901, is a restored home once owned by Dr. M.T. Pope, a prominent African-American citizen of Raleigh, North Carolina...
, Artspace, and the Long View Center
Long View Center
The Long View Center is a historic church building located in the Moore Square Historic District of Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The facility sits directly across from Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan. Built between 1879 and 1881, Long...
are located in the Moore Square district. Events that take place in Moore Square include the Raleigh Arts Festival, Artsplosure
Artsplosure
Artsplosure is an art festival held each year in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, focused in the Moore Square Historic District. This Raleigh Arts Festival has been the premier arts festival in central North Carolina for 30 years with attendance reaching 80,000...
, Movies in the Park, the Street Painting Festival, and the Moore Square Farmer’s Market The approximate district boundaries include Person, Morgan, Wilmington, and Davie Streets.
In addition to its national listing, Moore Square is one of five local historic overlay districts (HOD) in Raleigh.