Amzie Moore House Restoration

Bolivar County wanted to preserve its history and saw the home of Amzie Moore standing vacant and in need of repair. The County took on the project and received grant money from MDAH to restore the building and make the home an interpretive museum. Amzie Moore was a leader “a civil rights giant” in the civil rights movement in Mississippi. He co-founded the Regional Council of Negro Leadership, helped organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Mississippi, and was the first president of the Cleveland NAACP. His home was used as a “revolving dormitory” and “safe house” for activists during the movement’s voter-registration drives in the 1960’s. His many guests included Fannie Lou Hamer, Medger Evers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Andrew Young, John Lewis, Thurgood Marshall, and Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The wood frame home, approximately 1,377 square feet, was in severe disrepair. A damaged roof, termite damage and vandalism had left this significant structure in need of a meticulous restoration. The home was completely restored, including flooring repair, wallpaper installation using cheesecloth backing, electrical replacement and installation of period lighting, all new mechanical and plumbing to meet ADA standards and equipment to foster future museum equipment installation.