History Report

In 1990, the D. R. Miller farm was donated to the National Park Service by the Conservation Fund, bringing into the park some of the most significant land in the Antietam Battlefield. The National Park Service now has responsibility for stewardship of the land and buildings on the farm. The farmstead has several mid-late 20th century buildings which are not historic. Remaining cultural elements that are historic include the house, barn, foundations, spring and the road traces. The area is also rich in potential for archeological exploration, since the complex once included an earlier house and numerous outbuildings, as well as a turnpike toll house. The purpose of this report is to provide an introductory history of the property, focusing on the house since it is the only remaining intact pre-Civil War building on the property. It is preliminary to a detailed structural study in an historic structures report. The history report begins with a discussion of the historical context of the property covering settlement and cultural patterns in the 18th and 19th century development of Washington County. The second part of the report contains a description of the property as it currently appears. Part three relates the history of ownership of the property. This is followed by a section discussing the history of the construction of the house based on documentation discovered during the research effort. Part five offers an explanation of the appearance of the property at the time of the Battle of 1862 and includes alternatives for the Park Service to consider concerning the future treatment of the property. The report concludes with appendices containing copies of documents and maps pertaining to the property and an annotated bibliography.