Miller, Hannah, House
Also known as: William Joseph House
Why it's listed
Set on a hillside north of Mossy Creek in Augusta County, this small rubble stone house is a Continental bank house, a form devised in Switzerland and brought to America by German-descended settlers to make use of sloping ground. It rises two stories above a basement that opens at grade, with a single room on each floor, an exterior gable-end chimney, 6/6 sash windows and a closed corner stair. It was built around 1814 for Hannah Miller, widow of Henry Miller, founder of the Mossy Creek Iron Furnace. His will required that she be given a comfortable house when the family property was sold. The house faces his mansion across Mossy Creek Glade. It is the only known Virginia example of its type and an early Stockli, a small house for retired parents, a tradition more common in Pennsylvania. An early 20th-century frame wing was added to the north side.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the only known Virginia example of a Continental bank house, a Swiss-devised form brought to America by German-descended settlers to suit hilly sites. It was built to house Hannah Miller, widow of ironmaster Henry Miller, and is an early example of a Stockli, a small house for retired parents. Both the bank-house form and the Stockli tradition are common in Pennsylvania but rare in Virginia.
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 79003028, listed May 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Mossy Creek off VA 747, Mossy Creek |
|---|---|
| County | Augusta County |
| Listed | May 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003028 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1814 |
| Architectural style | Continental bank house (one-cell bank house) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as rental property, presently unoccupied; condition marked excellent and unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 38.35941, -79.02970 (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 79003028.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712459
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.