I Promised You This

On Sunday I wrote that I had a great find at my parents house that I wanted to share. I might have been able to get this post out earlier in the week, but I frankly did not know where to begin. The find is this:

And was found in here, "Mooresden":

But what is it? And how did my parents become the owners of it? To truly do this justice, I would probably need to start a whole new blog just about it...but I am having enough just keeping this one going.

It all started for us in 1975 when a good friend of my father's, an attorney, told my dad that a house was for sale. The reason it was for sale was because the man who lived in it and was living in it, had run out of money (basically) and needed the sale of the house to continue to live. The house was built in 1776 and was truly fantastic. 

The man's name was Henry Dubois Bailey Moore or H.D.B.B. Moore as he was also known and he was 98 years old. He had a stroke in his 80's and had round the clock care in his home since....even with all the money he had, it was now gone. My parents bought the house (actually two houses) and we moved in. The two houses were named Mooresden and Crookedstone. We (my parents and my sister and I ) lived in Crookedstone and Mr. Moore lived in Mooresden until his death a year later. I don't believe there were any relatives still alive, so we acquired some of his belongings and this was one of them. Although we have had this for over 36 years, last week was the first time I ever set eyes on it.

A Dress Album

Belonging to

Edith Moore

Commencing with her twelfth year

April 1890

Yonkers

Edith was Mr. Moore's sister and only sibling. In speaking to my mother, she recalls learning that Edith died rather young from Scarlet Fever. How I wish I had photos of Edith in these clothes, but alas it is enough to have this album. There are pages and pages like this:

India Silk made for Edith by Mrs. White

April 1890

Church and Walking Dress
Brown Camel hair trimmed with
silk and velvet~made Oct 1891

Since seeing this, I have become slightly obsessed with this man and who he was. 12 years ago, when my family sold the house, my mom gave me a box that contained bound books from Mr. Moore of every correspondence he had in certain years. Yesterday I read the year 1919 where he comes to Norfolk, Ct for the first time. 

More to come...or shall I say Moore to come.

P.S. This is the house today. It has been for sale for 5 or more years and I just noticed it was under contract. After my divorce, when I was 25 years old, I moved into Crookedstone and lived there for 15 years, next door to my parents and raising my children. These houses are very dear to me, my children and all of our family.

"Crookedstone"