The Whist—meaning quiet—was originally a 12’ x 14’ structure that was part of the Moseley Homestead. This small building, dating to around 1882, was designed to serve as a refuge for artist and writer Julia Daniels Moseley, offering her a peaceful escape from the busy main house during a difficult second pregnancy. Julia described the Whist as having five windows and a small door, with all the comforts she needed, including a large lounge with pillows, a room rug, a table, a shelf running the length of the west wall, and a case of drawers. Her letters reveal that she surrounded herself with pictures, trinkets, and wild items, like a wreath made from passion vine that decorated the door. Our research at this National Register property indicates that the original Whist was integrated into the main house’s structure and roofline. The building currently called the Whist was probably once known as the Old Shady, which was moved slightly to a row of outbuildings at the site and renamed the Whist sometime after 1913. The original Whist likely occupied the space where the house’s kitchen, dining, and inglenook areas are now. The Old Shady, documented in only one known historic photo, was a small shed-roof wooden structure used as a studio and workshop by Charles Scott Moseley.
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