Moore, Harvin Cooper

Harvin Cooper Moore was born in Carmona, Texas in 1905. The family relocated to Houston where he graduated from Central High School in 1923 and began college at Rice Institute. He graduated “with distinction” with plans to attend medical school. After a brief time in medical school, Moore re-entered Rice Institute to study architecture; he received his B.S. in Architecture in 1930. Upon graduation, Moore collaborated with Hermon Lloyd (1909-1989), a fellow undergraduate in the Rice architecture program, to design party decorations and sets. The two worked well together, and in 1934, they formed the architecture firm of Moore & Lloyd. Their office was first located in the Citizen’s State Bank Building downtown. Several years later, they designed a building at 2006 West Alabama that became the first architectural office in Houston with central air conditioning. The reputation of the firm rested largely on their works in River Oaks. The firm’s work continually increased during the 1930s. The commercial work was often for the same clients as their residential designs. Their residences were usually traditional in style and the commercial buildings were more “Moderne.” During their partnership, Moore and Lloyd designed many commercial, civic and military buildings, including over 84 homes in River Oaks. Harvin C. Moore is credited with being one of Houston’s earliest preservationists. In 1954, he began a foray into historic preservation by saving the Kellum-Noble house, which stands on its original site in Sam Houston Park. Moore was one of three who founded the Harris County Heritage Society with the mission to save the Kellum-Noble house from demolition.