Miller-Kingsland House
The Miller-Kingsland House (445 Vreeland Avenue) is the oldest recorded home in Boonton and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1973. The original Dutch house was one-room with a sleeping attic, built by Johannes Miller in 1740. The property was purchased by Isaac Kingsland in 1798. He added the larger Federal style wing in 1808.
The property was bought by the Fowlers in 1938. They built an addition in 1940. Mrs. Fowler (Mae Erskine from Alabama) was an artist and avid gardener. She died in 2010. Once part of a farm over 200 acres, the preserved property is now comprised of 2.5 acres which includes the house and a barn. With assistance from Green Acres, it was purchased by the town of Boonton in 2010.
Rockaway Valley Garden Club began restoration of the grounds that same year. Existing beds were weeded and supplemented with additional deer resistant plants. The Town has a live-in caretaker to help maintain the house and lawn.
One garden bed along the rear driveway includes a row of old fashioned, single flowered, white peonies which put on a spectacular display in late May. (photo 2016)
Other spring flowering plants include false indigo (baptisia), kerria, white lilacs, quince, dogwoods, jack-in the-pulpit, bearded iris, daffodils, lily of the valley, and epimedium. Sweet autumn clematis blooms in September and October on two handmade wooden trellises. (photo September 2020)
The Garden Club has added numerous deer resistant plants from members’ gardens: japanese iris, hardy geranium, brunnera, ferns, primrose, rose campion, comfrey and cleome. An eastern redbud tree was donated by the club in 2017. Two ornamental planters frame the front steps and are planted with annuals each year. (photo 2020) A wooden birdhouse (photo 2020) that had fallen into disrepair was restored and is displayed in the front yard.
