The Active Historian

Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, I want to show you around the Moore-Lindsay Historical Home in Norman, Oklahoma. It’s the only local history museum in Norman. Let’s go look around!

History of the Home

The Moore and Lindsay families moved to Norman around 1895 from St. Joseph, Missouri. Both families were wealthy and moved in the upper social circles in town.

William and Agnes Moore built the Queen Anne Victorian-style home in 1899. They spent around $5,000 to build the home which was significant because most other homes in Norman cost around $400-$500 to build. The home has the characteristic turret, wraparound porch, and asymmetrical design. The Moores lived in the home until 1908 when they sold it to Agnes’ niece Daisy Lindsay.

Daisy Lindsay and her husband, Harry moved into the home in 1907. They had one daughter, Mary Agnes.

Mary Agnes married Charles Wantland in 1911. They moved to Edmond where Charles took a job. They eventually moved back to Norman to care for her mother, Daisy after her father passed away. The Wantlands had six children.

The family eventually sold the home in the early 1960s. From 1960-1966, the home was divided into apartments. In 1966, the home was condemned most likely for the electric wiring not being up to code.

In 1973, the City of Norman purchased the home for the purpose of turning it into a museum. In 1975, the museum which tells the story of Cleveland County through various artifacts opened to the public!

The House

The Moore-Lindsay home covers approximately 2000 square feet over two stories. The first floor contains the entry hall, formal parlor, informal parlor, dining room, butler’s pantry, bathroom, kitchen, and former summer kitchen (now the museum office). The second floor contains the primary bedroom, children’s bedroom, and two former bedrooms that have been converted into an activity room and archives storage room. Additionally, there is a carriage house out back.

Historic Marker

“Banker and real estate investor, William S. Moore and his wife Agnes, built this house in December 1899. In November 1908, Moore sold the house to Harry Winter Lindsay and his wife Daisy, the niece of Agnes Moore. The Lindsay’s owned a grain company and lumberyard near Main Street. This Queen Anne Style architecture is representative of the Victorian era and currently serves as a museum that houses the Cleveland County Historical Society’s collections of early Norman history.”

Concluding Thoughts

I loved visiting the Moore-Lindsay Historical Home and learned a lot about the history of Norman and Cleveland County. I always find the historic home museums to be so cute and timeless. Shoutout to the community for preserving this home and telling its story. I hope you’ll visit the historic home museums near you!

Happy traveling! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Visit

508 N. Peters Avenue

Norman, Oklahoma 73069

Sources

Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum – Website

Self-guided tour book at the Moore-Lindsay Historical House