Historic Property #8: 2928 Bedford Avenue; Walter Miller House
Year Built: 1898
Architect: Unknown
Builder: Unknown
Architectural Style: Queen Anne Cottage
Welcome to this charming Queen Anne cottage, built around 1898 by Deputy Sheriff and City Marshal Walter Miller, his wife Mary, and their growing family. Initially, the home likely served as a modest single-story, two-bedroom residence. The November 5, 1898, article in the Mountain Democrat stated, “Walter Miller and family have moved into their new residence on Bedford Avenue. It is one of the prettiest little homes on that street.” The home features an asymmetrical facade, a steeply pitched roof, a partial porch, and decorative elements such as ornate spindlework, architectural gingerbread, contrasting patterns of shaped shingles, and a prominent bay window.
Walter Miller House; Circa 1920
After civil service, Walter Miller's entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish a successful cigar-manufacturing company and a barber shop, adding to his local prominence. Later, the Millers sold the property to Nicholas Fox, a prominent local investor and speculator, and former Vice President of the El Dorado County Bank. Notably, Fox, who resided in his grand hilltop estate on Coloma Road, likely viewed this property as an investment.
Indeed, the home's history reveals that it primarily served as an investment property. By the mid-20th century, it was converted into two distinct living units. This conversion involved transforming the attic into a one-bedroom apartment, accessible via an exterior staircase and a separate rear entrance.
In the early 2000s, a significant restoration project returned the home to its original single-family function. This involved the installation of a striking spiral staircase connecting the two floors, the removal of the exterior rear staircase, and the transformation of the former landing into a delightful patio overlooking the rear gardens and the adjacent creek.
More recently, the home was owned by Joyce Bahnsen, a respected local artist and former proprietor of Art Studio 360 on Main Street, Placerville. Joyce's artistic legacy extends beyond her gallery; during her nearly 20-year residency, she adorned the home with beautiful frescoes and watercolor murals, remnants of which you can still admire during today's tour.
