Robert Higgins House

Open Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday Noon – 4 p.m.

One of the oldest extant structures in Moorefield, the Higgins House was built in the late 18th century by Captain Robert Higgins, a Revolutionary War veteran.
Established in 1777, the town’s trustees sold half-acre lots with the condition that the purchasers build a small, 18’ x 26’ structure with a brick or stone chimney. On April 10, 1787, Robert Higgins purchased the 10th lot sold in the new Town of Moorefield, Lot No. 33.
Initially, it was required that the house be built within two years of the lot’s purchase, but that condition was relaxed to five years and later to nine years due to “the difficulty of procuring materials.” Knowledge of this difficulty answered a mystery. Dendroarchaeological research confirmed that the logs used to construct the house were dated 1790 and 1827 and that the dated logs were randomly placed around the house. Evidence of a fire suggests the reason for the house’s partial rebuilding and its 2nd story addition, added sometime after 1827.
In 1885, the Higgins House was incorporated into a larger “L” shaped home that wrapped from N. Elm Street around the corner onto Winchester Avenue. In 1983, Duffey Memorial Methodist Church owned the property and planned to raze the entire structure to make room for a much-needed parking lot. After a community uproar, the 19th century additions tothe Higgins House were removed leaving the original 18th century structure, clad in lapped siding. Now, in the 21st century, the Higgins House is being restored.
Standing as a link between today and the 18th century, the House has many stories to tell, not the least of which is its witnessing of our nation’s earliest days. The Robert Higgins House now serves as the Hardy County Visitors Center and the Higgins House Museum. The museum features two permanent exhibitions. On the 2nd floor, The History of Log Cabins explores American log cabins and the architecture of the House. The 1st floor exhibition weaves Robert Higgins’ life as a farmer, Continental officer, prisoner of war, and founder of a frontier town into the fabric of America’s revolutionary era.
The Robert Higgins House is now open to the public Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Open courtesy of the Town of Moorefield and the Hardy County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Location: Corner of Winchester Ave. and North Elm St., Moorefield