Moore House

Moore House Built in 1905 for Malinda (Anderson) and Hardin T. Moore, this Neoclassical Revival house is a significant part of Ennis' architectural history. The Moores married in 1892, after both Malinda and Hardin had been widowed in previous marriages. They lived on a ranch east of Ennis before moving into town after the house was built.

Malinda Anderson came to Texas with her family in the 1850s and first married James Robert Farrar in 1868. Farrar died a wealthy man in 1888, leaving Malinda substantial land and business holdings, which she managed with diligence. Hardin T. Moore had come to Texas with his family in the 1830s and settled in neighboring Kaufman County.

A Civil War veteran, Moore also had property in the region left to him after his father died. Census records showed him as a stockman and cattle merchant, but he also appears to have had interest in a real estate and loan business. After his first wife died in 1872, he remarried, and his second wife died in 1888.

The size and craftsmanship of the Moore House reflects the wealth and prominence of the family. Its Neoclassical elements are exhibited in the fluted ionic and Doric columns, the roofline balustrades with urns, the garland motif decorating the porch frieze, and the dominant central entry bay. By 1914, the Moores had separated, but Malinda continued living here until her death in 1930.

She is buried at Myrtle Cemetery in Ennis between the graves of her two husbands. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002