Our vision is clear.
We must remember and preserve the past so that the future can learn. We must continue the work of the founding members, to promote and encourage historical research, to share knowledge and a greater understanding of Miller Place and Mount Sinai. As members of the Society we hold the keys to an integral part of the future. The Miller House and its outbuildings and the Hawkins House are and will continue to be living museums where people of the community can learn from the past. We just all work together to assure that these architectural and historic gems remain as cornerstones of the community."
The Miller Place Historical Society was founded in 1979. In 1982 the name was changed to Miller Place-Mount Sinai
Historical Society to reflect the membership of the Society and the close ties the two communities have had since the
1600s. The mission of the Society is to collect, preserve and disseminate the history of New York State with emphasis
on Miller Place, Mount Sinai and environs.
The Society owns two properties with
several buildings.
The
original owner of the land on which the 1720 William Miller House was built,
was William’s grandfather Andrew Miller Sr. Andrew Miller Sr., who was
born in England (1632-1717), immigrated to America with his family when he
was eleven. Andrew was a cooper in East Hampton until he came to the
area called Old Mans around 1670. Andrew Miller purchased
approximately 105 acres from Brookhaven Town and built his home near the
pond. Andrew Sr. deeded his home lot in Old Mans to his son Andrew Jr.
in 1709. Andrew Jr., who had built his own home, died in 1716.
The Miller House was acquired by the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society in 1979 from the estate of Harry Millard, the last lineal descendant of William Miller. The house consists of three sections: the middle room, built in 1720 is the original section. In 1750 a second house was attached to the west end of the house. A third house was brought to the site and added to the east end of the house in 1816. The house is significant as very little of the interior has been changed in the two hundred eighty plus years of its existence. The Society restored the house in the early 1980s. Listing on the National Register of Historic Places enabled the eventual preservation and restoration of the structure. The Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society maintains the 1720 William Miller House as a museum and the center for its many historically educational activities.
1720 William Miller House
