When Air Force veteran Fred Miller purchased a historic Gothic Revival residence in southern Virginia in May 2020 to bring his family together, he sought a peaceful retreat near his childhood town. Instead, deep archival research and land records revealed that the property, historically known as Sharswood, was a pre-Civil War plantation where Miller’s direct ancestors were once held in bondage by 19th-century slaveholders sharing his surname.
An Unexpected Acquisition in Southern Virginia
The acquisition began as a straightforward real estate transaction aimed at securing a spacious gathering place for an extended family. Encouraged by his sister, Karen Dixon-Rexroth, Miller negotiated the purchase of the distinctive white, green-roofed manor near his upbringing in rural Virginia. At the time of the sale, neither relative possessed any knowledge of the estate’s mid-nineteenth-century origins or its forgotten ties to their own family lineage.
Constructed during the 1850s, the manor house was originally established by an uncle and nephew who operated the land as Sharswood plantation. Archival real estate transfer filings indicate that the property changed hands in 1917, remaining within the Thompson family for over a century. It was not until Miller finalized the deed transfer with the seller that the historic significance of the estate began to emerge through independent genealogical study.
Unearthing Archives and Ancestral Footprints
Driven by curiosity regarding the property's architectural age, Dixon-Rexroth initiated an extensive examination of digitized county land deeds, tax registries, and census records. Joining forces with her cousins Dexter Miller and Sonya Womack-Miranda, the family painstakingly cross-referenced historical documents to reconstruct the property’s operational history. Their preliminary findings suggested a startling overlap between the plantation’s slaveholding records and their own documented family surname.
To validate their initial discoveries, the family collaborated with regional historian and professional genealogist Karice Luck-Brimmer. Accessing nineteenth-century probate records, plantation ledgers, and municipal archives, Luck-Brimmer uncovered definitive documentary evidence. The historic records confirmed that Miller’s direct ancestors were indeed held in forced labor at Sharswood during the antebellum period, transforming an ordinary real estate investment into a profound site of ancestral connection.
The physical reality of the discovery struck Miller deeply during his initial structural inspection of the main house. Historical structural analysis showed that enslaved domestic workers accessed the main dining areas through a steep basement staircase. Observing the heavy physical wear etched into the wooden steps, Miller recognized that his own forebears had walked those exact stairs daily while serving the plantation's original owners.
Locating the Hidden Ancestral Burial Ground
While archival documents established the presence of enslaved families at Sharswood, one critical question remained unresolved for the family. During a site visit with former property co-owner Bill Thompson, Dexter Miller inquired about the location of the historical burial grounds. Thompson pointed toward a dense, unmaintained stand of timber positioned just beyond the existing boundary lines of the main residential lot.
Navigating through dense underbrush toward the wooded copse, family members identified unmarked grave sites matching regional burial practices of the plantation era. For Miller, who had spent decades unaware of his direct physical connection to the land, standing before the long-forgotten resting place of his ancestors proved deeply emotional. The physical proximity of the graves confirmed how close their history had remained, hidden in plain sight.
Local preservation groups note that unmarked plantation cemeteries across the American South remain vulnerable to commercial development and environmental erosion. Discovering the cemetery enabled the Miller family to establish immediate protective oversight over the site. Field surveys conducted alongside land management specialists have since mapped the perimeter of the burial ground to ensure long-term physical protection and historical documentation.
Preservation and Public Education Initiatives
Following the revelatory research, Miller permanently relocated from California back to Virginia to oversee the physical restoration of the Sharswood property. Recognizing the national historical importance of the site, he established a state-chartered non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the surviving structures. The foundation focuses on maintaining both the original main hall and the authentic timber slave quarters preserved on the grounds.
Today, the non-profit foundation conducts structured guided tours of the estate, offering visitors a comprehensive examination of plantation-era life and labor. Educational programming highlights both the architectural history of the Gothic Revival home and the documented lives of the enslaved community. Historical exhibits inside the residence utilize primary source documents to present a factual narrative of the estate’s dual legacy.
The ongoing reclamation of Sharswood represents a growing national trend of descendant-led historic preservation. By converting a site of historical servitude into an educational resource, the Miller family has reshaped their ancestral narrative. Their work ensures that the legacy of those who lived and labored at Sharswood will be accurately preserved and honored for generations to come.