WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
SAMUEL & HANNAH MILES HOME
St. George, Utah
LOCATION
306 South Main StreetSt. George, UT 84770
Plat C, Block 17, Lot 8 of the St. George City Survey.
37° 6' xx.xx" North Latitude, 113° 35' xx.xx" West Longitude
2,xxx feet MSL
Tax ID# SG-XXX-x-x-x
HISTORY
Samuel & Hannah Miles came to St. George in 1862. The family initially lived in a tent and wooden wagon box for 2.5 years on this site.This home was built between 1865 and 1869. The Miles family reportedly made the adobes right on the site. They first moved into a leanto adjacent to the building while they finished the small, two-story home.
That adobe building has survived for 140 years and has seen many families raised there.
Christy Tschantz lived there for a while.
George Brooks bought the house from Christy and lived there for 12 years.
The Brooks family sold the house and moved into a larger one. They took Christy along with them and kept him until he died.
Glenn & Jessie Prisbury lived there for a long time.
Recently two successive owners have undertaken to restore it to its original historical authenticity. In 1993 Bruce Jenson purchased the home from Marie Bee. He knew that Bill McMurrin had some experience in historical restoration because architect McMurrin had helped Mark & Barbara Greene with their many efforts at Green Gate Village. Bill studied the building and presented Jenson with some drawings. They undertook the project. One of the elements was that they replaced the interior staircase to its original spot. They tried to do everyting historically correct.
Late in 1998 Louis Sylvester purchased the home. He needed more room but he did not want to intrude on the original structure. He had another building designed to be a close match to the original one and located it a few feet west of the Miles home on Third South. Ray Gardner of Cedar City did that design, including a connecting building that made it possible to use both buildings as one residence. The new building is built of wood, not adobe, but the exterior finish is the same as the Miles home. The careful design has resulted in a fine preservation of the original building and a matching one that honors the original. It is one of the best possible adaptations of a pioneer home.
In April of 2007, the Washington County Historical Society recognized Bruce Jenson and Louis Sylvester along with their architects Bill McMurrin and Ray Gardner for the restoration of the historic Samuel Miles Home with a Certificate of Commendation.
Owners:
Samuel & Hannah Miles
Christy Tschantz
George Brooks
Glenn & Jessie Prisbury
1993 Bruce Jenson
1998 Louis Sylvester
BIOGRAPHY
Samuel & Hannah Miles click herePHOTOS
REFERENCES
Washington County Historical Society Certificate of Commendation (April 2007).Landmark and Historic Sites: City of St. George
First Edition, January 2, 2009, pp. 26-1 through 26-4
Compiled by the St. George Community Development Department
Landmark and Historic Sites: Informational Guide of Historical Sites within the City of St. George
Second Edition, Revised 2011, pp. 99-100
Compiled by the St. George Community Development Department