Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution
National Historic Landmark

Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution

Chautauqua, Chautauqua County, New York
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
66000506

About this property

The Lewis Miller Cottage is a historic house at Whitfield and Vincent Avenues, on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. Built in 1875, it was the residence of Lewis Miller, co-founder of the Chautauqua movement. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 21, 1965. The Lewis Miller Cottage stands in the village of Chautauqua, at the northwest corner of Vincent and Whitfield Avenues. It is a two-story wood-frame structure, with a broad gabled roof showing Stick style woodwork and large supporting brackets. It has a symmetrical front facade, with sash windows flanking the center entrance on the ground floor, and paired sash windows on the second floor, flanking a center doorway that provides access to the second-story balcony. The first-floor porch and second-floor balcony both have gingerbread balustrades. The Lewis Miller Cottage is considered one of the earliest prefabricated structures in the United States. Miller brought the cottage from Akron, Ohio, and erected it at Chautauqua in 1875, where he entertained US President Ulysses S. Grant that summer. Mina Miller Edison, Miller's daughter, spent summers at the cottage with her husband, inventor Thomas Alva Edison. She renovated the cottage in 1922. Among the changes, several of the first floor's rooms were made into one large room. Landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman developed extensive gardens around the cottage. In 2016 the Chautauqua Foundation acquired the cottage from Miller descendants Ted Arnn and Nancy Kim Arnn. National Register of Historic Places in Chautauqua County, New York Lewis Miller Cottage (3 photos), at Historic American Buildings Survey

Location

Chautauqua, Chautauqua County, New York
42.21043, -79.46497

Categories

EDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution

This page lists Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Chautauqua Institution Historic District
Civil War
0.1 mi
Point Chautauqua Historic District
Civil War
2 mi
Midway Park
Industrial
2.3 mi
Pennsylvania Railroad Station
Industrial
2.9 mi
Thompson, Henry Dwight, House
Industrial
9.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution listed on the National Register?

Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution?

Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution?

The period of significance for Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Chautauqua County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Chautauqua County.

Explore ChautauquaCounty ›

More historic places in New York

Browse all historic places in New York.

View New Yorkhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New York history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Yorkhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Miller, Lewis, Cottage, Chautauqua Institution will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report