Moses Shepherd and his family migrated from Mecklenburg, Frederick County (later Berkeley County), Virginia (now Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia) to the District of West Augusta, Virginia (later Ohio County, Virginia and now Ohio County, West Virginia) about 1771 and settled on the banks of Wheeling Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River, near the Forks of Wheeling Creek where Big Wheeling Creek collects Little Wheeling Creek. Moses Shepherd's father built Fort Shepherd upon this land and operated a large plantation and grist mill. The fort was burned to the ground by Native Americans. Moses Shepherd inherited this land upon his father's death in 1795 and continued to operate the plantation. Shepherd Hall was built on the site of the former Fort Shepherd.