Millar-Wheeler House
Why it's listed
Set back from Genesee Street on a two-acre lot of lawn and shade trees, this three-story brick house in Utica was built in 1866 by local contractor Ambrose G. Howard. It has a hipped roof with broad eaves, a belvedere with iron cresting, bracketed cornices, an ornate entrance portico and cast iron window lintels. Inside, a wide center hall, a walnut staircase, marble mantels and plaster cove moldings survive. Charles Millar, who ran pipe foundries serving Utica's boiler and textile industries, bought the house in 1870, and his family owned it until 1912. Later owners converted much of it to apartments in the early 1940s. It stood vacant from the late 1970s and faced demolition before a 1996 purchase led to restoration. Listed for architecture, it is regarded as the most elaborate surviving Italianate residence in Utica and a landmark of the city's once-fashionable upper Genesee Street.
Significance in brief: It is considered a highly intact and distinguished example of large-scale High Victorian Italianate residential architecture in Utica, and the most elaborate surviving example of its type and period in the city. It was the home of Charles Millar, a prominent Utica pipe-foundry industrialist, and reflects the wealth of the city's industrial peak.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000093, listed February 10, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1423 Genesee St., Utica |
|---|---|
| County | Oneida County |
| Listed | February 10, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000093 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866 |
| Architect / builder | Ambrose G. Howard (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored after standing vacant from the late 1970s and being threatened with demolition; now a private residence and bed-and-breakfast inn. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 43.09528, -75.24332 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000093.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6858487
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.