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Millers and Maysville: A match for the ages
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By MISTY MAYNARD Staff Writer
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Orloff Miller's career in archaeology has taken him to 13 different states, as well as other parts of the world. Most recently, his work, and his passion, has led him to Maysville.
Miller and his wife, Elisabeth, moved to Maysville one year ago. They had lived in Cincinnati for some time, and rented property in Bracken County. On Sundays, they took drives through the countryside, and fell in love with the area. Both have a passion, and an eye, for historic architecture.
"Once you get an eye for historic architecture, it changes how (a person) views the world," Miller said.
After a while, Miller said, they began making the drive with a realtor.
The house the couple purchased in Maysville is a historic structure dating back to 1851. Miller said the families that have owned it have always lived in it, and it was in an almost "pristine" condition when he and his wife purchased it. Miller said his wife walked into the living room and fell in love with the house, while he walked into the garage and fell in love with the spaciousness that could afford him a workshop below, and an office and laboratory upstairs.
The office upstairs had windows and a balcony with a direct view of the Ohio River, and there was room to spread out many of the artifacts he studied.
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About the same time the Millers were moving to Maysville, Orloff Miller said he bid on a project in Old Washington. The city had received federal funding to move all above ground utilities underground in the historic district. Because it was federal funding, an archaeologist was required to monitor the efforts.
"Old Washington is old enough, you can't turn ... dirt without finding something," Miller said. In his lab area, there are several bags containing items discovered during the ongoing project. Miller said he hopes to invite property owners in when he analyzes the items to be able to share a little about why the objects are significant, and what they meant in terms of the culture and lifestyle of past generations.
Miller wasn't always sure he wanted to be an archaeologist. He said it took him 13 years to get his bachelors degree. He started his college career as a philosophy major, pre-law. Then he switched to anthropology, eventually dropping out. When he returned to school, Miller said he realized he hadn't read a single philosophical book since his initial departure from college, but had been reading everything he could on archaeology.
"That told me that was really where the passion was for me," he said.
Later, when volunteering on a dig on the coast of Maine -- Miller and other college students were working at the site of a 17th century fort, Fort Pentagoet, built by the Puritans as a trading post to pay the mortgage on the Mayflower -- Miller decided he wanted a career in archaeology.
The fort had been knocked down by a cannon blast hundreds of years before, but when Miller was prying up some of the rock he caught a whiff of black-powder scented air. It was air that had been trapped beneath the block for 400 years, Miller said.
"I realized then I wanted to be an archaeologist," he said.
In the United States, Miller said, most archaeological work is "salvage work," where an archaeologist is needed to monitor the work, but ultimately the area is going to have something else built over it.
"Everything I was studying was about to be destroyed," Miller said.
So Miller decided to get into preservation planning.
"That was really my emotional content behind my (involvement) with Old Washington," he said.
Orloff and Elisabeth Miller both serve as board members for the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum in Old Washington. Orloff Miller said he had previously served with the Freedom Center in Cincinnati.
"This was kind of a good fit for me," he said.
Miller's involvement with Old Washington led to him becoming part of a team forming a comprehensive plan for the preservation of Old Washington. A similar plan was formed in 1975 by Old Washington Inc., an all-volunteer, nonprofit preservation group. Miller said the group wants feedback from anyone and everyone who takes interest in Old Washington, whether it's from a resident or nonresident, and whether the feedback is positive or negative.
"It's a marvelous plan," Miller said. "But a lot's happened since then, particularly in the surrounding areas."
The plan will define natural and cultural resources, address traffic and parking issues, define current and future threats, will protect property values, protect and promote residential and business amenities, among other things. The in-depth, detailed plan should be completed by Jan. 1, 2007, Miller said.
Old Washington, Inc. plans to host a public meeting June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Washington Community Hall to gauge public interest and garner feedback. Miller said the group is committed to recording and including every opinion heard.
The plan will also include a specific plan of action complete with a time-line and budgetary considerations.
While growth is inevitable, and desirable, Miller said it needs to be planned and directed to ensure Old Washington maintains its historic and architectural integrity.
"We need to be very careful in making sure that very profitable and very important growth for our town maintains the historic integrity and the integrity of the landscape in Old Washington," Miller said.
Contact Misty Maynard at 606-564-9091, ext. 274. |
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