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Miller’s House Museum at Jordans Point reopens for the 2023 season this Saturday, April 1.
The museum will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. weekends through Thanksgiving. This will be the eighth season that the museum has opened to the public to interpret and celebrate the story of the industrial and transportation history of the community.
“Our rich history traces back to the movement of Native Americans as they moved along paths through this area on hunting expeditions,” said Dick Halseth, past president and current secretary of the museum. “In the early years of our nation these trails were used and expanded by the tens of thousands of pioneers, many of German and Scotch-Irish descent, moving from the northeast to southwest seeking new and fertile lands. Their passage had a significant influence on our communities today.”
East-west travel was more problematic in this area, Halseth continued, because of the mountain ranges. Until the late 19th century transportation by river and canal was an important option, and Jordans Point was right at the crossroads, he said.
Native American traces evolved into U. S. 11 and then Interstate 81. The North (now Maury) River for many years provided commerce to the Atlantic Ocean ports. Even Daniel Boone was known to travel through here on the Wilderness/Great Valley Road guiding settlers to the Cumberland Pass and further west.
Jordans Point once featured a lumber mill, grist mill, forge, foundry, blacksmith shop and merchandise stores.
“It was quite a busy place with canal boats coming and going, and later there were two railroads operating at the Point,” said Halseth. The Chesapeake & Ohio came west from Buena Vista and the Baltimore & Ohio south from Harrisonburg with a small branch line serving the industries at the Point.
Because of periodic flooding, today only two buildings from this period remain in the Jordans Point Historic District. The museum is located in a structure that had been the residence of a mill operator in the 19th century.
On the first floor, emphasis is on the canal system that took passengers and freight through Glasgow, Buchanan and Lynchburg down to Richmond. Featured is an operating model of a canal lock, of which there 14 from Lexington to Glasgow and a total of 88 lift locks between Lexington and Richmond.
On the second floor is a diorama of Jordans Point in the early 1900s. Plus there is a very comprehensive and educational display of local railroad history, designed and executed by Byron Faidley, senior collections assistant and rare materials digitization coordinator at Washington and Lee University Special Collections.
Admission is free, with donations gratefully accepted.
“Our friendly and knowledgeable docents are there to enhance your enjoyment of the museum,” said Halseth. “You can visit us on Facebook or at our website, millershousemuseum. org.
