Filed Under Black History

Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop

Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop today is in a two-story brick building constructed in 1940

Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop continues to thrive in spite of competition from low-cost chains.

Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop at 4807 Langston Boulevard in the Halls Hill neighborhood of Arlington was established in 1960 by James Moore, Sr. In 2002, the elder Mr. Moore retired and turned the shop over to his son, James “Jim” Moore, Jr. Jim had been working in his father’s shop since the age of seven. In 1991, he started as a full-time barber.

The original Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop location was a few blocks away on Langston Boulevard. Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop today is in a two-story brick building constructed in 1940. There were originally four apartments and two stores located in the building, which is topped by a flat roof with metal coping and features large, fixed wood storefront windows on the first floor.

Many small barber shops no longer exist because of competition from low-cost chains, but Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop continues to thrive. Numerous clients have been coming for decades and have brought multiple generations of their family to Mr. Moore’s. Barber shops were a common business that African American men could open and work in during the segregation era.

Today, barber shops are about more than cutting hair: they are cultural anchors for relationships and community building.
Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop in 2022 (top) and Jim Moore and James Moore Sr. (below). Courtesy of James “Jim” Moore, Jr.

Images

Mr. Moore's Barber Shop
Mr. Moore's Barber Shop Exterior of Mr. Moore's Barber Shop Source: Center for Local History
Hair Cut
Hair Cut Customer getting a haircut at Mr. Moore's Barber shop Source: Center for Local History

Location

Metadata

Center for Local History, “Mr. Moore’s Barber Shop,” Arlington Historical, accessed October 8, 2024, https://arlingtonhistorical.com/items/show/55.