Miller School of Albemarle
About this property
Miller School of Albemarle is a coeducational day and boarding school for grades 8 to 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1878, Miller School is one of the first coeducational boarding schools in America. The 1,100-acre campus includes 15 miles of mountain bike trails, a 12-acre lake, and a 40-acre working farm. 260 students from 15 states and 16 countries are currently enrolled as day and boarding students. Miller School was founded in 1878 with a bequest of $1.1 million from Samuel Miller, who grew up near the grounds where the school is now situated. His will provided for the majority of his estate to be used for the establishment of a boarding school for orphaned children, a school to be located near his birthplace in Albemarle County. By 1874, following Mr. Miller's 1869 death and the resolution of several legal disputes, architects and builders began designing and constructing The Miller Manual Labor School. This work culminated in August, 1878, with a grand opening and dedication of the central portion of "Old Main", an impressive structure of Victorian architecture, around which much of Miller School life still revolves. "Old Main" is now on the Virginia Historic Landmarks Registry. The main building was designed by architect Albert Lybrock. 1878: The first curriculum was designed; students received instruction in the classics as well agriculture and such trades as carpentry and metal work. 1882: The first baseball team won its initial game, a 55-0 victory over Fishburne Military School. 1883: Thomas Edison's company designed and supervised the installation of Miller School's first electric power plant, two Edison Style "K" dynamos and 250 incandescent light bulbs. 1927: With mounting operational expenses and little fund-raising, Miller School began to cut its programs; the girls program was the first to go, not returning until the early 1990s. 1939: Began to phase out its farming operations and, instead, leased the land to generate income. 1948: Won the annual interschool boxing championship. 1950: Began to charge tuition to supplement its trust funds, which no longer generate sufficient yearly revenues to support the school. 1951: As military schools reach new heights of popularity in post-World War II America, Miller School added military programs 1964: 224 boarding boys were enrolled at Miller School, many of them 5th and 6th graders 1984: Miller became a founding member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and charted a course toward a college preparatory curriculum. 1992: The school accepted boy and girl day students.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
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Questions about this property
When was Miller School of Albemarle listed on the National Register?
Miller School of Albemarle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 15, 1974.
What type of historic resource is Miller School of Albemarle?
Miller School of Albemarle is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Miller School of Albemarle?
The period of significance for Miller School of Albemarle is recorded as the industrial era.
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