John Moore (1801-1878) and his wife Matilda L. Moore (1804-1877) lived in Aldie, Virginia. Moore leased the Mill owned by Charles Fenton Mercer (1778-1858), later known as the Aldie Mill, from 1832 until 1835 when he purchased both the mill and adjoining miller's house. Moore's children and descendants would continue to own and operate the Aldie Mill until 1971.

Along with operating the mill, John Moore served in the 56th Regiment of the Loudoun militia, obtaining the rank of captain. In 1839, Moore purchased fifty-seven acres of land from Ruth Lacey (d. 1865) along the Old Braddock Road, then known as the "Old Turnpike Road." Moore farmed this property, raising crops that in 1850 included wheat, oats, and potatoes along with livestock. Census information and other records indicate Moore owned slaves (eleven in 1850), using them as labor on the farm and as mill workers. In 1851 he purchased an additional ninety-five acres of adjacent land. Moore's son Alexander Moore (1836-1914) built Fair Oaks Farm on a portion of this property in 1881. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, and includes the Moore Family Cemetery where John Moore, Matilda Moore and several of their children are buried.