MORE ON 211 MAIN STREET AKA THE MILLER BUILDING

Editor’s note: The following information was excerpted from Maureen I. Harris’ book, “Washington, Virginia, a History, 1735-2018.”

In 1951, Harold Geest leased lot 14 to the Town of Washington for use as a recreation area for a period of five years, and the town playground was developed on this property. After this, he sold the southern half of lot 14 to W. Arthur Miller in 1955, on which was constructed a concrete block building and the Washington Post O ce, from April 1956 to 1981, on the north side. The Rappahannock Health Department was also located in the building and Mrs. John M. Barger Jr. opened a beauty shop in the building.

Douglas Baumgardner purchased the building in 1982 for his law office and added ground and upper levels in the rear. Dr. W. Neal Mayberry of Luray opened a dental office in the rear ground level on 3 June 1982, seeing patients on Thursdays.

In 1987, the rear lower level was the site of Washington Video Rentals, owned by Susan Kau man and Rae Haase, which sold and rented video tapes. When Baumgardner retired in 2014, Miller Building LLC (Eve Willis, daughter of Arthur Miller) acquired the property. The south side of the building was converted to an antique/gi shop called Rare Finds. The north side of the building housed the law office of Michael Brown of the Walker-Jones legal firm. In 2018, Rare Finds occupied the main floor of the building. e office of Hampton Title Agency were on the rear lower level. In 2018, the owner of the property, designated as Tax Map 20A-1-45A (211 Main Street), was Miller Building LLC (J Stewart Willis). It has been sold since.