John Moore House (Sparta, Ontario)

It is considered a good example of pioneer architecture and construction in Elgin County, and a valuable relic of early settlement days in Southwestern Ontario, if not in the province.

It is an example of Georgian architecture, a two-storey structure of stone and brick, it features a symmetrical five bay front façade with a central door and two sets of flanking windows on the main floor, and five on the second storey.

Whether or not that story is true, it is documented that John Moore, though a United Empire Loyalist and a Quaker, became a leading advocate of reform in the turbulent 1830s, and was charged with treason in the aftermath of the failed rebellion.

The bricks used in the John Moore house were made on his farm, one of the five springs there supplying water to form a shallow pool, where oxen trod the clay to proper consistency to use as mortar for the walls and foundations.

The stones used in combination with bricks were gathered from the farm, and the solid face this old home presents to the world today makes this an outstanding example of the skills and determination of Ontario's early pioneers.