Editing Miller Place, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Miller Place, New York
| settlement_type    = [[Hamlet (New York)|Hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = MPacademy2.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = The historic Academy Schoolhouse of Miller Place
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map        = USA New York Long Island##New York
| pushpin_label      = Miller Place
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| image_map          = Miller_Place_NY_Map.gif
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = U.S. Census map
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{Flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{Flag|New York}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 20.01
| area_land_km2      = 16.96
| area_water_km2     = 3.05
| area_total_sq_mi   = 7.73
| area_land_sq_mi    = 6.55
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.18

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 11723
| population_density_km2 = 691.12
| population_density_sq_mi = 1790.04

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone]]
| utc_offset         = −05:00
| timezone_DST       = 
| utc_offset_DST     = −04:00
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 40
| elevation_ft       = 131
| coordinates        = {{coord|40|56|48|N|72|59|35|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 11764
| area_code          = [[Area codes 631 and 934|631, 934]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 36-47306
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0957319
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| pushpin_map_caption = Location on Long Island##Location within the state of New York
| subdivision_type3  = [[Town (New York)|Town]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Brookhaven (town), New York|Brookhaven]]
}}
'''Miller Place''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Hamlet|hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in the [[Brookhaven, New York|Town of Brookhaven]], [[Suffolk County, New York]], United States. Despite preserving much of its historic identity, changes in the 20th century have transitioned the hamlet into a desirable and densely populated suburban area. The population was 11,723 at the 2020 census.<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=miller%20place&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=2020 DEC Redistricting Data: Miller Place CDP, New York| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=2021-09-27}}</ref>

Miller Place and [[Mount Sinai, New York|Mount Sinai]] are historically linked, with residents sharing such institutions as the Mount Sinai Congregational Church, located on the hamlet's border. The harborfront section of [[Port Jefferson, NY|Port Jefferson]], 5 miles to the West, serves as a primary commercial downtown walking area for residents of both Miller Place and Mount Sinai.

==History==
===Agricultural hamlet===
Miller Place has been inhabited since the 17th century and is named for the Miller family that included many of its initial settlers. For most of its history, the community functioned as an agriculture-based society.

The land that Miller Place occupies was purchased from the native Setalcott tribe in 1664 by settlers of [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]].  The parcel also included what would become [[Mount Sinai, New York|Mount Sinai]], an adjacent community of similar character with which Miller Place would share a variety of functions throughout its history.

The first known dwelling in the area was constructed in the 1660s by [[Captain John Scott]], an important figure in Long Island's early history.  This house was named ''Braebourne'' and features on a map of the New England region credited to Scott, who served as a royal advisor and cartographer among other occupations.  This abode, on the eastern side of Mount Sinai Harbor, was one of three houses John Scott commissioned, and the actual occupier is unknown.<ref name="Barstow">{{cite book|last=Barstow|first=Belle|title=Setauket, Alias Brookhaven|pages=110–291}}</ref>
[[File:Miller Place Duck Pond and John Woodhull House.jpg|thumb|left|The Miller Place Duck Pond on North Country Road]]
While the original settler of Miller Place is unknown, the settling of the region is largely credited to the original Miller family. In 1679, an [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]] settler named Andrew Miller purchased a {{convert|30|acre|m2|adj=on}} plot.  Miller was a [[cooper (profession)|cooper]] by profession, and records indicate that he had emigrated from either [[Maidstone|Maidstone, England]] or [[Craigmillar|Craigmillar, Scotland]].
[[File:William_miller_homestead.jpg|thumb|left|The William Miller House, with sections dating from 1720 to 1816]]
By the early 1700s, the community had become known as ''Miller's Place''.  The Miller family expanded well into the 18th century and continually developed houses in the northern part of the hamlet.  The Millers were in time joined by members of such families as the Helmes, Robinsons, Burnetts, Hawkins, Woodhulls, and Thomases.  Many roads in the present hamlet have been named after historical families.
[[File:Timothy_miller_house.jpg|thumb|left|The 1785 Timothy Miller house]]
The oldest extant house is the home of William Miller, Andrew Miller's grandson, composed in three sections between 1720 and 1816 at a prominent location on North Country Road.  The hamlet's many extant historical structures are centered on this thoroughfare, forming the core of the [[Miller Place Historic District]].  Listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1976,<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> it became the first historic district in the [[Brookhaven, New York|Town of Brookhaven]]. Separately listed is the [[Samuel Hopkins House]].<ref name="nris"/>

The [[American Revolutionary War]] divided the town, with the majority siding with the Patriot cause but families being split across both lines. A number of midnight raids occurred, one of which resulted in the shooting of a teenage Miller who had peered out of his window to check on the commotion. The march of [[Benjamin Tallmadge]], who led eighty men to the victorious overthrow of a British stronghold at [[Manor St. George]], traversed along the town's western border.

In 1789, the neighboring communities of Miller Place and Mount Sinai organized a Congregational church on the town border. While the Mount Sinai Congregational Church building (an extant structure from 1807) is technically in Mount Sinai, the house for its minister was built in Miller Place and continues to be used for that purpose.

The first two public schools in the hamlet were established in 1813 and 1837. In 1834 the Miller Place Academy, a private school, was established under the leadership of a [[Yale University|Yale]] graduate.  Though the academy itself closed in 1868, it served as a public school from 1897 until the 1937 opening of what is now the North Country Road Middle School.  The Miller Place Academy structure remains as one of the community's symbols and currently houses a free library.

===Resort town===
[[File:Miller_Place_Country_General_Store.jpg|thumb|left| Built in 1890, The Miller Place Country General Store, which formerly served as a combined general store and town post office]]
In 1895 the hamlet became home to a [[Miller Place station|station]] of the [[Miller Place station|Long Island Rail Road]], which was located near the present-day intersection of Sylvan and Echo Avenues. It transported people to stops westward to [[Port Jefferson station (LIRR)|Port Jefferson]] and [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|New York City]] or eastward to [[Wading River station|Wading River]]. After the station was destroyed in a 1903 fire, a new one was built. However, this building was destroyed in 1934 by another fire, and the Eastern railroad lines were soon abandoned.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Giffen |first1=Edna Davis |last2=Kronenberg |first2=Mindy |last3=Lindemann |first3=Candace |title=Miller Place |location=Charleston, SC |publisher=Arcadia |year=2010 |page=8 |isbn=9780738573052}}</ref> In 2013 an agreement was signed between local politicians and the [[Long Island Power Authority]] (LIPA), which currently manages the strip on which the railroad operated, to convert this land into a public bicycle trail.

In the latter 19th century, Miller Place became a popular summer resort location.  This led to a building boom of beach-side bungalows, rustic log cabins, and commercial activities to accommodate the new seasonal residents. A barn-like building known as the Harbor House operated as a dormitory-style vacation house for young girls until it was destroyed in a 1962 fire.<ref>Gass, M.(1971). ''History of Miller's Place'', St. Gerard Printing.</ref> Camp Barstow, a Girl Scout camp near the beach, was active until 1980 and has since become public parkland.

===Modern development===
[[File:Miller_Place_post_office.jpg|thumb|left|The Miller Place post office since 1990]]
In the decades following [[World War II]], the population of Miller Place greatly expanded, and the majority of beach cottages were repurposed as family homes.

A 2012 plan by the Town of Brookhaven aims to comprehensively manage Route 25A between [[Mount Sinai, NY|Mount Sinai]] and [[Wading River, NY|Wading River]] under planning strategies counter to those of car-oriented mid-century suburbia. For Miller Place, it intends to transition the section at Echo and Sylvan Avenues into a traditional downtown center with new mixed-use development and an expanded Sylvan Avenue Park that would complement the current town post office and senior center. The plan additionally calls for the preservation of the DeLea Sod Farm, the largest agricultural parcel remaining on the Miller Place stretch of Route 25a.<ref name="25a plan">{{cite web|url=http://www.brookhaven.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?Command=Core_Download&EntryId=5030&PortalId=0&TabId=134|title=Route 25A - Mount Sinai to Wading River Draft Land Use Plan}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Indian_Rock_on_Miller_Place_Beach.png|thumb|right|Indian Rock on Miller Place Beach]]
[[File:Miller_Place_Beach.png|thumb|left|Beach on Long Island Sound in Miller Place]] Miller Place is located on [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]] of [[Long Island]] and features a two-mile section of beach. It also hugs the east side of Mount Sinai Harbor, which it shares with neighboring Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson. The hamlet also borders with [[Sound Beach, New York|Sound Beach]], [[Rocky Point, New York|Rocky Point]], [[Middle Island, New York|Middle Island]] and [[Coram, New York|Coram]].

The [[73rd meridian west]] passes directly through Miller Place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google Map by Latitude and Longitude |url=https://www.stolaf.edu/people/hansonr/longlat.htm |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=www.stolaf.edu}}</ref>

The area is hilly in some patches, mostly near the beach, but generally has grass and trees. Though the soil is suitable for agriculture, desire for housing has led most farms to be developed into suburban housing communities or commercial locations.{{US Census population|2020= 11723|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/millerplacecdpnewyork/PST045219|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2021-09-27|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2020, there were 11,723 people, 3,847 households, and 3.11 persons per household residing in the CDP. The 2010 population density was {{convert|1,883.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White alone, not Hispanic or Latino]], 0.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.0% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 2.4% from two or more races.  9.1% of the population were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race. The population had previously increased to 12,339 people in the 2010 census.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population was a wide spread, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. Overall the population was 48.6% women.<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=miller%20place,%20ny&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S0101|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2021-09-27|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>

The median income (in 2019 US dollars) for a household in the CDP was $130,341. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $49,772.  2.5% of the population were below the [[poverty threshold]].

== Economy ==
[[Image:MPtreefarm.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to the Carter Christmas Tree Farm, the only extant farm north of Route 25A]]
[[File:MPmcnultys2.jpg|thumb|left|McNulty's Ice Cream Parlor]] 
The center of commerce within the hamlet has largely transitioned from the historic North Country Road to the modern [[New York State Route 25A|Route 25A]].

Along North Country Road is McNulty's, a family-owned ice cream parlor and a fixture of the hamlet, and a handful of inns and restaurants located in historic structures. Route 25A is of a more suburban character, with most businesses being corporate chains and located in [[strip mall]]s. Also along Route 25A are multiple pizza parlors, a bagel store, a deli, and a local coffee shop and bar.

The hamlet is home to many residents who commute daily to [[New York City]]. Commuters either use the [[Long Island Rail Road]], with the nearest stations in Port Jefferson and [[Ronkonkoma station|Ronkonkoma]], or drive along the extensive highway system that had been developed by [[Robert Moses]]. A number of residents also work at nearby [[Stony Brook University]] and [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]].

== Parks and recreation==
Cordwood Landing County Park has become a popular local destination. The park consists of hilly, wooded trails that lead directly down to extended Cedar Beach.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cordwood Landing|url=https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Parks/Our-Parks/Cordwood-Landing|access-date=2020-12-01|website=www.suffolkcountyny.gov}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:North_Country_Road_Middle_School.jpg|thumbnail|right|North Country Road Middle School]]
The four schools of the Miller Place Union Free School District are scattered throughout the hamlet and serve both Miller Place and much of the hamlet of [[Sound Beach, New York|Sound Beach]]. These include the Andrew Muller Primary School (K-2), Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School (3–5), North Country Road Middle School (6–8), and the [[Miller Place High School]] (9–12). The high school has been ranked the 78th in the nation for students taking AP classes.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} The school's mascot is a [[Black panther|panther]], while the school colors are red, white and blue.

== Health care ==
There is one walk-in clinic and urgent care center in Miller Place; Caremed Primary and Urgent Care.

== Notable people ==
* [[Mike DelGuidice]], guitarist and vocalist for the [[Billy Joel Band]]
* [[Ralph Macchio]], actor of Italian ancestry
* [[Caleb Smith Woodhull]], [[mayor of New York City]] from 1849 to 1851
* [[Tony Yayo]], member of rap group G-Unit

==See also==
{{Portal|New York (state)}}
* [[Miller Place High School]]
* [[Miller Place station]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.millerplacefd.com Miller Place Fire Department]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726024210/http://lioddities.com/Roadside/pirate.html Miller Place Pirate House (Long Island Oddities)]
* [http://www.millerplace.k12.ny.us Miller Place School District]
{{Commons category}}

{{BrookhavenNY}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Brookhaven, New York]]
[[Category:Long Island Sound]]
[[Category:Hamlets in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Suffolk County, New York]]
[[Category:Hamlets in Suffolk County, New York]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in New York (state)]]