Miller, William, Chapel and Ascension Rock
Why it's listed
William Miller Chapel is a small Greek Revival church on a quiet county road in Low Hampton, close to the Vermont border. Built in 1848 by Miller, a local farmer and Baptist lay preacher, it is a one-story braced frame building with beveled siding, a slate roof, a pedimented facade with corner pilasters, and eight windows with stained glass fans. Inside, box pews, a paneled pulpit, hand-planed woodwork and Miller's rocking chair survive, and there is no electricity or central heating. Behind the chapel, Ascension Rock is where hundreds of Miller's followers reportedly gathered on October 22, 1844, expecting the Second Coming. When that did not occur, the Millerites split into groups that included the Advent Christians and the future Seventh-day Adventists. The chapel is valued as physical evidence of the start of the Advent Christian movement and of the religious ferment before the Civil War. A memorial service is still held there each year.
Significance in brief: The chapel is presented as tangible evidence of the beginnings of the Advent Christian movement in the United States. It is also described as an important relic of the period of social and religious change before the Civil War. Ascension Rock is where hundreds of Miller's followers reportedly waited on October 22, 1844 for the Second Coming.
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 75001233, listed July 17, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Fair Haven on SR 11, Fair Haven |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | July 17, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001233 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | William Miller |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Religion, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent and the chapel is occupied. The interior is described as much as Miller left it, with no electricity or central heating, and plywood shutters were added to protect the windows when it is not in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Miller, William, Farm Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 43.59506, -73.31206 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 75001233.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707796
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.