The town was laid out in 1849 by civil engineer James Fry and named Catlett's Burgh in honor of the two brothers, who were the first European settlers of present-day Catlettsburg.

Colonel Moore, an attorney, had served one term in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the 14th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry.

Once under his ownership, he named the house Beechmoor for the large beech tree that stood on the property and for his surname of Moore.

Several 64-inch-diameter (1,600 mm) wood logs of virgin timber hold the 42-foot-wide (13 m) house up from its natural stone cellar.

An effort to restore the estate has been underway by Col. Moore's present-day descendants recently, with exterior painting completed in June 2014.