Renovation Complete at Miller House in N. White Plains
Surrounded by the descendants of Ann and Elijah Miller, the family that lived in the Elijah Miller House during the American Revolution, Westchester County Executive George Latimer hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially welcoming the public back to the historically significant home. The newly renovated Westchester County Park property is located at 140 Virginia Road, North White Plains.
“This building is not just a historic building that we wanted to honor; this is not just a building that was collapsing, that we made a commitment to re-establish,” said Latimer. “This building tells you something about who George Washington was when he was here. Something about the American spirit is what this house is about. We had an obligation to make sure that George Washington’s presence was never forgotten. We had to figure out how to find the money, we had to figure out how to find the will. The will to make sure this house did not become a pile of rubble that got swept away, but that it would be here long after I am gone.”
Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin said sites like the Miller House need to live on so that future generations can understand local history.
“You have to understand where we come from in order to understand where we are, and where we are going,” he said. “Residents, students and others from around this region will be able to come and visit here. We are very pleased to be working with the county executive, the Board of Legislators and the state to get the funding together to be here today.”
Assemblyman David Buchwald added: “It is so gratifying to be at a point where we can spread the joy of having all this work culminate in a great moment of history in its own right. This is an effort that could not have been possible without the men and women who took this funding and recreated a true gem in the Westchester County Parks system. I think the residents of Westchester will be very happy that their money was well spent.”
Westchester County Legislator Margaret Cunzio thanked Latimer for bringing the project to the finish line. “This is an example of working together to make government work, and preserve history,” she said. “I am so excited to see future programs here, and I am very excited that we can put George Washington’s Headquarters back on the map, and have it be one of the top historical sites in Westchester County.”
Latimer was also joined by Friends of the Miller House/Washington’s Headquarters President Linda Fernberg, and Anne Novak, Carole Clarke and their mother, Mary Ann Miller, descendants of Ann and Elijah Miller. The 501(c)3 Friends of Miller House/Washington’s Headquarters is an organization dedicated to help preserve the historic preservation and its ongoing operation.
“Gen. Washington had many headquarters in Westchester, but the Miller house is the only one that’s still on its original site,” said Fernberg. “County Executive George Latimer gave Westchester a wonderful gift. It will let future generations learn about our history and the importance of this home.”
The Miller House’s public programming will begin with two presentations of “Patriot in a Petticoat: The Life of Ann Fisher Miller,” on Sunday, Nov. 17. Ann Miller, her husband, Elijah, and their family lived there during the war. The two-hour program will start with a narrated visual historical depiction of life in Westchester from about 1755 to 1790. A re-enactor playing Ann will then tell the fact-based story about the Millers’ life, family, home and experiences during that time. “Ann” will then invite the public to tour the home’s interior.
The program will be presented by the Daughters of Liberty’s Legacy.
The Miller House is on the National Register of Historic Places, the New York State Register of Historic Places and the Westchester County Inventory of Historic Places. It’s also a Town of North Castle landmark.
