Elijah Miller House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Miller House
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Virginia Rd., North White Plains, New York |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1738 |
| Built by | John Miller |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001292 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1976 |
The Elijah Miller House is a special old home in North White Plains, New York. It's a farmhouse built in the 1700s. During the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington used it as his headquarters. This means it was his main office and place to plan battles, especially during the Battle of White Plains. Today, the house is a museum. It shows what life was like for the Miller family in colonial times. You can see many old items there.
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A Home from the 1700s
The Elijah Miller House was built around 1738. It was part of a very large farm, about 600 acres big. John Miller likely built the house. He had eight children. One of them was Elijah, born in 1728.
The Miller Family Moves In
Elijah Miller married Anne Fisher. In 1770, they moved into the Miller house. They added more rooms to the house. This included a new living room with a fireplace. They also added a bedroom with its own fireplace. Plus, there were two more bedrooms upstairs.
Elijah Miller and the War
Elijah Miller joined the Westchester County Militia. This was a group of local citizens who helped fight in the Revolutionary War. Sadly, Elijah died in August 1776 while serving. Two of his sons, John and Elijah, also joined the militia. They both died from a fever in December 1776.
General Washington's Headquarters
General George Washington used the Miller House as his headquarters three times during the American Revolutionary War.
- October 1776: He used it as a command post during the Battle of White Plains. This was a very important battle.
- Summer 1778: He returned for a second stay.
- 1781: He stayed there one last time.
Anne Miller, Elijah's widow, was Washington's hostess during his visits. She lived a long life and passed away in 1819 at 96 years old. Her daughter, Sarah Miller Cornell, lived in the house until she died in 1838. Other families lived and farmed the land after the Millers. Charles Kaiser, a former postmaster, was the last private owner.
The House Becomes a Museum
Westchester County bought the house in July 1917. It was fixed up and opened to the public on October 29, 1918. Now, it is a museum run by the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Outside the house, there is a huge sycamore tree. This tree was likely there when General Washington visited!
Saving the Miller House
By the early 2000s, the house was starting to fall apart. It had been neglected for many years. It was only open to visitors a little bit. In 2010, the county government wanted to spend $1.2 million to fix it. However, the county executive, Robert Astorino, stopped this plan. He thought private groups should pay for the repairs.
Thanks to groups like the Friends of the Miller House/Washington's Headquarters and Daughters of Liberty's Legacy, things changed. In May 2017, Westchester County announced that up to $2 million would be used to renovate the house. This money helped make sure the historic Miller House would be saved for future generations to visit and learn from.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Westchester County, New York
- List of Washington's Headquarters during the Revolutionary War
