Two Millers, One Common Existence: The Lasting Legacy of Two Men

Upon reading Daisy I. Read’s New London Today and Yesterday I became interested in the Ward Girl’s School. It’s only mentioned briefly as Read discussed the layout of the town of New London. She stated that in 1795 a boarding school taught by Mrs. Ward sat on a corner lot across from the courthouse. As my initial search for more information quickly puttered out, I made it my mission to find out who Mrs. Ward was. I began an investigation into the prominent Ward family of Campbell County, and while I found a plethora of “Mrs. Ward’s”, I failed to determine who our Mrs. Ward was in the time allotted.

But, through my meandered search for Mrs. Ward I found a subject with even more intrigue. It is the subject of two men with such similar identities it is a wonder they are not one in the same. In my search for boarding schools that once were I came across the Lynchburg Female Orphan Asylum, also referred to as The Miller Home for Girls.

The Miller home opened its doors in 1875 caring for over 1000 girls in the course of its existence.[1]Samuel Miller, a businessman considered for most of his life a recluse by fellow townspeople, donated the land and an endowment fund for the care of young women.[2]

So, who is Samuel Miller? A native of Campbell County, Samuel Miller had a meager start. He was

one of two sons of Jane Miller.[3]He and his brother were thought to be the illegitimate children of James Brooks. Both boys were educated by a man named Brooks and it is said Miller was sent to business school on Brooks’ dime.[4]Miller returned to Campbell County a very successful businessman. Upon his death he donated his millions to various charitable enterprises throughout Central Virginia, one being The Miller Home. He also donated much to the establishment of the Miller School of Albemarle for Boys.[5]

Naturally, I dug deeper into the story of Samuel Miller, beginning with the genealogy of the Miller family. Curiously, the name Samuel Miller appeared in my search much more than was to be expected. As I compared names, and dates I quickly realized there were two Samuel Millers living in the same area at about the same time.

Who is this Samuel Miller? The first mentioned, Samuel Miller, was born in 1792 and died in 1869.[6]The second Samuel Miller was born 1789 and died in 1870. So closely are their dates of birth and death that I could not be sure they were not the same man.

Our second Miller, Samuel Thomas Miller, born in Richmond, Virginia relocated to New London, Virginia as a young man. His parents, of great wealth and class, pushed their son to be well educated, which suited him as he knew he wanted to be a scholar from an early age. In fact, Samuel Thomas dedicated his life to education. In 1811 he opened an all-girl’s school in New London, but shortly afterward was compelled to enlist in the Army during the War of 1812.[7] Once the war concluded he returned to New London, married, and purchased some land. There he taught for several years. He then purchased 600 acres of land on the Staunton River, but remained in New London where he took charge of the New London Academy in about 1821. After a few years Samuel Thomas chose to sell his New London property and permanently move to his Staunton plantation. There he build Woodburne, a classical school patronized by the surrounding families.[8]Samuel Thomas remained there until the end of his teaching career.[9]In his golden years he sold the property and retired to Lynchburg with his wife and adult children.

The striking similarities of these two men are astonishing. Each man shared the same name. Both Millers lived in and around the same areas, Lynchburg and New London. Both men basically shared the same life span, being born at about the same time and dying at about the same time. While life started very different for each man, both men found great success amounting fruitful careers. Both spent their life in wealth and both were well educated. However, what I find more extraordinary, both men committed their lives to community, charity, and education. But, the most striking is their shared belief in education for women.

Today Miller’s Home for Girls is still actively involved in the community providing care for young women.[10]The Miller School of Albemarle has evolved into a large co-educational preparatory institution situated on a campus of 1600 acres.[11]I was unable to track down the fate of Woodburn. But, it can be argued that Samuel Thomas Miller had a lasting impact on generations of central Virginians as he taught hundreds throughout his life time.

Although my search for Ward Girl’s School and Mrs. Ward was a bust, I came through the research with the history of two similar, remarkable men with incredible dedication to education and community, each having a lasting impact on the New London, Campbell County, and Lynchburg areas.

Bibliography:

Early, Ruth H. Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches: Embracing the History of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1926. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Co., 2003.

“History.” Miller Home for Girls. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://www.millerhomeoflynchburg.org/history.

“HISTORY.” Miller School of Albemarle. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://millerschoolofalbemarle.org/history.

Miller, Samuel Thomas, and Samuel Hartshorn Miller. Life of Samuel Thomas Miller; Being an Auto-Biographical Sketch. Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Co., 1911.

“More Hills!” Lynchburg Museum System. Accessed February 27, 2020. http://www.lynchburgmuseum.org/more-hills.

Read, Daisy. New London Today and Yesterday., 2000.

“Samuel Miller (1792-1869) - Find A Grave Memorial.” Find A Grave. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10525142/samuel-miller.

“Samuel Miller Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, June 16, 2017. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=104436.

"The Miller Orphan Asylum in Lynchburg." New York Times (1857-1922), Jan 14, 1870. 1, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/92617340?accountid=12085.

1. [1] “History,” Miller Home for Girls, accessed February 27, 2020, https://www.millerhomeoflynchburg.org/history) [2] “Samuel Miller Historical Marker,” Historical Marker, June 16, 2017, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=104436) [3] “More Hills!,” Lynchburg Museum System, accessed February 27, 2020, http://www.lynchburgmuseum.org/more-hills) [4] “Samuel Miller (1792-1869) - Find A Grave Memorial,” Find A Grave, accessed February 26, 2020, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10525142/samuel-miller) [5] “HISTORY,” Miller School of Albemarle, accessed February 26, 2020, https://millerschoolofalbemarle.org/history) [6] “Samuel Miller (1792-1869) - Find A Grave Memorial,” Find A Grave, accessed February 26, 2020, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10525142/samuel-miller) [7] Samuel Thomas Miller and Samuel Hartshorn Miller, Life of Samuel Thomas Miller; Being an Auto-Biographical Sketch (Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Co., 1911), p.43-44) [8] Ruth H. Early, Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches: Embracing the History of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1926 (Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Co., 2003), p.460) [9] Samuel Thomas Miller and Samuel Hartshorn Miller, Life of Samuel Thomas Miller; Being an Auto-Biographical Sketch (Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Co., 1911), p.48-49) [10] “History,” Miller Home for Girls, accessed February 27, 2020, https://www.millerhomeoflynchburg.org/history) [11] “HISTORY,” Miller School of Albemarle, accessed February 26, 2020, https://millerschoolofalbemarle.org/history)