Miller-Knight House
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Ohio River from a level terrace in the hamlet of Miller, this 1.5-story frame house was built for Joseph Miller, a pioneer settler, sometime between about 1815 and 1835. Its mortise-and-tenon frame, weatherboard siding, center passage and two-room plan make it a so-called double-pen house, a vernacular form common in Ohio's early settlement period but more often built of log. Much of the original interior trim, Federal-style doors with spring latches, and mantels remain in place. Few early frame houses in Lawrence County escaped being covered with aluminum or vinyl siding, so this one is a rare, largely unaltered survivor. Miller was an Indian scout and mail carrier on the river, and his granddaughter married Captain William Knight, a steamboat master. Members of the family owned the property continuously from its construction. The house is currently vacant and being restored.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved, largely unaltered example of the center-passage, double-pen frame house, a vernacular form tied to Ohio's early settlement that is now rare. Under Criterion A it is tied to the Miller and Knight families, including pioneer Joseph Miller and river boat captain William Knight, who occupied it from 1815 to 1884. It is one of few surviving houses in Lawrence County with documented Ohio River associations.
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 03000720, listed August 4, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2 Township rd. 1046, Miller |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | August 4, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000720 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1815-1835 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century/Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant and being restored; no outbuildings survive, and a cistern with a cast iron pump remains at the rear. |
| Acreage | 15.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.54097, -82.29806 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 03000720.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.