House Details on Zillow

The house is now listed on Zillow.

Happy Birthday, Dr Moore!

September 10th, 2008 is the 172nd anniversary of Dr. Moore's birth. I'm thinking of you, Dr. Moore.

Front, Side, Rear Views of Exterior

 

VLM House

Windows!

 

Staircases & Ladders

 

National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

CIVIL WAR SERVICE

Dr Volney L Moore served as a Private in the 3rd Regiment of the Wisconsin Cavalry, Company L, for about 3 years.

"Organized at Janesville, Wis., November 30, 1861, to January 31, 1862. Mustered in January 28, 1862....Companies "G" and "L" mustered out October 26, 1865. Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 61 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 147 Enlisted men by disease. Total 217. "

For information about soldiers and regiments, including details on troop movement and service of the Wisconsin Cavalry, visit the National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System website.

The Tower

Tower Elements
For many, many years, the only way to access the 3rd floor of the tower, has been through a window from the roof. Because of its relative inaccessability, the 3rd floor of the tower doesn't appear to have been altered as much as the rest of the house. We don't know the last time it was used for living space, or how they even got up there, if it was used for living space. When the 4th floor of the tower was demolished for building materials for Jimmy's Grotto Restaurant, the stairs to the 4th floor were sealed and now lead to nowhere. The round and oval windows on the south side of the tower are unique and beautiful features.

Doors

Plaster and Hardware Details

Roses

Climbing roses grow wild in the front and side gardens. Black walnut and pear trees shade the backyard. I dream of re-creating the gardens with heirloom variety flowers and am searching for a photograph or drawing of the original landscape and gardens.

"In his day, it was a beautiful place, with gardens, etc. One of the 'show homes' of the village."*

*Source: Medical History Data compiled by Woman's Auxillary of the Waukesha County Medical Society for the State Medical Society of Wisconsin.

Dr Volney L Moore, Homeopathic Physician

Born September 10, 1836, in Ulysses, NY. Attended public schools in Watertown, Wisconsin. Studied medicine under Dr Flannigan, of Watertown.1

"He matriculated at the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania (became Hahnemann) from Watertown, Wis, Nov 1, 1858, and graduated March 3, 1859....He was a member of the Alumni Association, (and) the Wisconsin Homeopathic Medical Society...."2

His father's name was Alexander R Moore. He married Elizabeth Jane Phillips (b 1836, d 19 Nov 1891), daughter of Enos Phillips, of Reading, PA.1 Volney and Eliza Jane had one child, Alice Mary ( b 1859, d 4 Sept 1926), who married Harry N. Simmons 3 and went to Philadelphia. They later lived at Colfax, Washington.1

Dr Volney L Moore 1836 - 1886

Sources:

1. Medical History Data compiled by Woman's Auxillary of the Waukesha County Medical Society for the State Medical Society of Wisconsin.

2. Ms. Barbara Williams, Archives and Special Collections, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. From her June 5, 2006 e-mail.

3. Regarding the name Harry N. "Simmons," other sources spell the name "Sims," including Alice's grave marker, and Harry's signature in the cemetery record.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

"Dr. V. L. Moore came to Watertown in the fall of 1849; is the son of Alexander R. Moore, who settled there in the fall of 1849; he was educated in the Old Homeopathic College of Philadelphia now the Hahnemann Medical College. Dr. Moore engaged in hospital practice a little over a year in Phildelphia, then came to Sparta, Wis, where he remained nearly a year, then went to Watertown; continued in practice there until he entered the United States service in 1862. He was in service about three years, and went out as one of the lay surgeons. June 16, 1865, he came to Waukesha and has been engaged in practice here ever since. Dr. Moore was married at Sparta, Wis., to Eliza Jane Phillips, daughter of Enos M. Phillips, one of the pioneers of Wisconsin; she was born in Pennsylvania. They have one child - Alice Mary."

Sources:

The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical Company. MDCCCLXXX (1880). Obtained through www.wisconsinhistory.orggenealogy/ogrs

Dr. Moore, Alice, and Eliza Jane are buried at the Prairie Home Cemetery, Waukesha WI.

http://www.prairiehomecemetery.com

View from the Tower

View from 3rd story tower window. The tower was originally constructed with a 4th floor which was dismantled for materials to build Jimmy's Grotto around 1946. It's hard to imagine how massive the 4 story tower must have been in relation to the building. In 1991 the restaurant moved across the street to a new building, and the old store was demolished.

Jimmy's Grotto Pizza has good, reasonably priced pizza. One of their specialties is the Ponza Rotta, which you could describe as a deep fried pizza-pasty, or a pizza folded in half and sealed, and deep fried. The cream cheese jalapeno poppers is one of my other favorite menu items. The grotto website has a photographs of the original and new restaurants.

Architectural Description

Architectural Description:

"The Moore house is architecturally significant as an example of the Italianate style. Although a number of italianate style residences remain in the city, this is the only example which includes a massive tower in the manner of the Italian villa. The Moore house dates from 1877 and occupies a middle ground between the restrained Italianate design such as the Martin Brown House (816 N. East Avenue, Waukesha) and the later more exhuberent Victorian Italianate designs (Street-Waite House, 348 Wisconsin Avenue, Waukesha). See also the Frame house (507 N Grand Avenue, Waukesha), and the Bucher house (609 E Broadway, Waukesha).

Dominating the design of this cream brick, Italianate style house, is a three story tower which adjoions the main cube of the building. Constructed at a cost of approximately $4500 in 1877, the Moore house remains as an impressive example of the style. The main block of the house rises two stories and features two segmentally arched windows (with stone keystone and imposts) on the first story, and three round headed windows on the second floor (also with stone imposts and keystone). The entrance, located east of the two first story windows is also covered by a segmental arch, however this is partially obscured by a shed roof porch addition. Adjoining the house to the east is the massive tower, which repeats the arched window motifs, however, the arches are enlarged to accommodate pairs rather than single windows. Extending the plan to the west is a two story rectangular bay window."

Source:
Intensive Survey for the Historic Preservation Division, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, surveyed by HNTB, February, 1982.