Fred Miller’s Journey with Sharswood: Unveiling a Family Legacy

The story of Fred Miller and the Sharswood property is a tale of unexpected discovery, placing one man at the intersection of history and personal heritage. This account follows Fred Miller, a 57-year-old Air Force veteran, as he embarks on a path that unravels his family’s connections to Sharswood, a historical property located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Finding Sharswood

The journey began when Fred was informed by his sister about a large house up for sale in his hometown. Dubbed the ‘scary house’, it was located less than a mile from their mother’s home. This grand white house, referred to as Sharswood, had an asking price of just over $220,000. Despite Fred’s initial reluctance due to racial biases he anticipated in the offer acceptance process, persistence led to the successful acquisition of the property in 2020.

Located on 10.5 acres, Sharswood was sold by the Thompson family, who had owned it since 1917. Fred’s sister, Karen Dixon-Rexroth, became engrossed in researching the property, unearthing its 19th-century sources and history. She uncovered that Sharswood was not only a gothic revival-style house designed by a renowned New York architect but also the heart of a major plantation housing 1,300 acres.

Discovering the Connection

As Fred learned more about Sharswood, surprising connections to his lineage emerged. The family discovered that Sharswood had served as a plantation, implying the presence of enslaved people, a stark history persistent with properties in Virginia during that era. Pittsylvania County, before the Civil War, was home to more than 14,000 enslaved people.

Dexter Miller, a cousin, had been working to trace the family genealogy, while others, like Sonya Womack-Miranda, joined this effort. Initially, records gave life to their ancestry only as far back as Sarah Miller, born shortly after the Civil War ended. The difficulty in tracing lineage further back stemmed from the unavailability of records for enslaved individuals before 1865.

Unveiling the Past

Historians Dennis Pogue and Doug Sanford’s interest in the property led them to investigate a dilapidated building on the site. They concluded it was a well-preserved slave quarters built in the late 1700s, providing tangible evidence of Sharswood’s past in the era of slavery.

Fred’s family also found that his ancestor, Sarah Miller, once lived nearby and that earlier generations, like David and Violet Miller, appeared in the first post-Civil War census. Through records and genealogist Karice Luck-Brimmer’s help, it came to light that Violet Miller was listed in historical documents as enslaved under N.C. Miller, confirming their family’s historical ties to Sharswood.

Preserving History

Fred’s acquisition of Sharswood and subsequent discoveries have fueled a desire to preserve its history. He established the Sharswood Foundation, seeking grants to restore the slave quarters and document the property’s history. Sharswood now serves educational purposes, being open to researchers and historians, while also fulfilling Fred’s initial vision as a space for family gatherings.

The Miller story reflects on ancestral resilience and the complex journey through America’s historical fabric. It highlights the importance of preserving and sharing such narratives so they continue to educate and empower future generations.