The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Moore Hall

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Institution Name: Salve Regina University
Original/Historic Place Name: Madame A. Acosta House
Location on Campus: Shepard Ave.
Date(s) of Construction:

1881-1882	original construction Johnson, John Dixon
1950	conversion to student residence

Designer: John Dixon Johnson
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, culture, history, landscape
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation:

Walls: wood clapboard

Roof: slate roof

Function:

1882-1950	private residence
1950-present (2006)	residence hall (women)

Narrative:
Sitting on land formerly owned by Governer William Beach Lawrence, this eclectic Queen Anne revival was originally built for Madame A. C. Acosta of Maryland. It informally combines 17th and 18th century design details such as classical columns and shingled surfaces. Casual and picturesque, Queen Anne revival homes were planned specifically for wooded areas and seashore settings. Later, the estate was renamed Four Acres. In 1950, it was acquired by Cornelius C. Moore, Esq., one-time Newport mayor and longtime board chair, who donated the house to Salve Regina University in 1950 in memory of his parents.

References:

Harrington, Richard B. Ochre Point-Cliffs Historic District [including Salve Regina University]. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/ National Park Service, 1975.

Moe, Richard. A Walking Tour of Salve Regina University. Pamphlet. [Newport, RI: Salve Regina University, n.d.].