Elmcrest, built ca. 1838, is the oldest building on the Judson College campus. In 1851, Judge John Moore purchased this home from Samuel Fowlkes and remodeled it as a wedding gift for his bride, Emily Billingslea. Judge Moore was a captain in the Confederate army. He served as president of the Judson College Board of Trustees from 1887-1891. The Moores lived in Elmcrest for a half-century. John and Emily Moore were the parents of John Trotwood Moore, novelist, historian and journalist, who was born in this house on August 26, 1858. In 1905 the home was sold to Judson College, which has used it to serve college presidents, faculty, and students.
The house is a two-story frame dwelling with a cross gable roof of asphalt shingles, a three-bay facade, paired windows with hood moldings, a full-height entrance portico with balcony, central entrances with full transom and sidelights, and paired brackets along the cornice.
This house was photographed and documented in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1935. It is a contributing property to the Judson College Historic District that was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 3, 1993. Elmcrest is located on the south side of the Judson campus beside Dekalb Street (GPS coordinates 32.629240, -87.314745).
Sources: 1) NRHP “Judson College Historic District” Form; 2) PerryCountyAlabamaChamber.com.