Henry F. Miller House

The Henry F. Miller House is a residential building on Derby Avenue featuring extensive glass walls, a flat roof, and open floor spaces adapted to the sloping terrain. The interior uses a post and beam wooden frame to create flexible living areas while preserving views of the surrounding land.

The house was built between 1948 and 1949 as a thesis project for architecture studies at Yale School of Architecture. It received National Register of Historic Places status in 2001 to recognize its importance to American architectural history.

The house represents how architects after World War II experimented with fresh construction techniques and open designs. This approach was quite unusual for Connecticut at the time and influenced how people thought about residential spaces.

The hilltop location means visitors typically arrive on level ground but may encounter steps for access to different parts of the building. Wearing comfortable shoes is helpful since the surroundings sit on sloped land and exploring requires some physical effort.

Shortly after completion, the building opened to about 25,000 people who came to tour it during a fundraising event for a boys club in New Haven. This event made it locally famous and connected it to a sense of optimism and innovation in the post-war period.

Location: Connecticut

Architects: Henry F. Miller

GPS coordinates: 41.30042,-72.98741

Latest update: December 14, 2025 16:42