Picture two surviving four-acre parks from Raleigh's 1792 plan. This registered historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, centers on Moore Square—one of two surviving four-acre (1.6 hm) parks from Raleigh’s original 1792 plan. The park is named for Alfred Moore, a North Carolina judge who became an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.
Once a residential neighborhood, Moore Square evolved into a primary commercial hub throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As you look around, remember East Hargett Street, once known as Raleigh’s “Black Main Street” because it contained the largest number of businesses owned by African Americans in the city. The district today includes landmarks you can visit: City Market, Marbles Kids Museum/IMAX theatre, the Pope House Museum, Artspace, and the Long View Center.
The square still hosts community life: the Raleigh Arts Festival, Artsplosure, Movies in the Park, the Street Painting Festival, and the Moore Square Farmer’s Market all take place here. Person, Morgan, Wilmington, and Davie streets mark the boundaries where your walk continues.