Clarence Moore, a coal magnate from West Virginia and member of private clubs in Paris and New York City, chose the New York City-based architect Bruce Price and the Washington-based Jules Henri de Sibour to design his home in Washington, D.C. At the time, Sibour was a prominent architect of large residences in Washington, including the Thomas T. Gaff House, Andrew Mellon Building, and the ambassadors' residences of Portugal, France, and Luxembourg. Moore purchased the land from Edward J. Stellwagen for $37,422, and construction began in September 1906 and was completed in 1909. Moore only lived in the house for three years. On April 15, 1912, Moore was one of the 1,517 passengers who perished during the sinking of the RMS Titanic. After Moore's death, his widow, Mabelle, remarried and only used the home for diplomatic and social events.
