Charles O. Miller, Stamford Businessman and Philanthropist (Updated May 11)

Working on the next Photo Selection of the Month, this writer stumbled across this note: The Development of a Big Store.

"All over the southern part of Fairfield County The C. O. Miller Company store of Stamford has for many decades been a household word.  Probably in no other locality has any other store had so nearly one hundred per cent of the patronage of a community.  But this community is growing and has been growing rapidly. This necessarily has had an effect on the store.  To meet the greater Stamford and the rapidly increasing needs of this part of the county, this famous dry goods  establishment has been forced to increase its floor space by more than six thousand square feet and completely to remodel and change the building."  read all

Charles O. Miller, "leading dry goods merchant of Stamford," was involved in other businesses and active in many sections of the community.  In this Advoate obituary (PDF file) he is called "Public-Spirited and Philanthropic," and his association with various organizations is reported:  with the Red Cross; The Stamford Historical Society, to which he offered a building site on River Street in 1916; and last but not least the Stamford Hospital, an organization to which he devoted a lot of time and effort – including the donation of a property less than a year before his death that was used as a nurses' home.
All obituaries.

Mr. Miller was a Life Member and sponsor of The Agassiz Association;  thus we are indebted to the editor of The Guide To Nature, Edward F. Bigelow, for featuring Miller and his store in several issues, lavishly illustrated.

The Development of a Big Store.
Completing Fifty Years in Business. The Remarkable Half Century Success of Mr. C. O. Miller as Evinced in the Astonishing Development and Present Prominence of The Miller Store.
Obituary in The Guide to Nature.

The C.O. Miller Company was a fixture in Stamford for  106 years.  Founded in 1868, the store was originally located at 53 Main Street.  The next location, by September 1870, was at Washington Place. In 1882 a new store was built on Atlantic Square, 53 Atlantic Street (see postcard image of 1900 above left and Picturesque Stamford, 1892)  Major additions and changes to the store were made in 1916, as described in Guide to Nature above.  The store moved to 15 Bank Street in 1933, where it remained until its closing in 1973 when it supposedly made way for the Bell Street Parking Garage.  However, Google Maps Satellite photos show that the entire structure is is still there.

Urban Redevelopment Photos
Photo Selection of the Month, May 2008:
The C.O. Miller Department Store at 15 Bank Street

Photos of all locations can be found in The C.O. Miller Company.

1948 Aerial View of Bank St. Location

Any Stamfordite who has recollections, stories and/or is willing to donate or loan photos about the C.O. Miller Store, is encouraged to contact The Stamford Historical Society, either by mail (1508 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903), fax (203-322-1607), or e-mail.  We will gladly scan or otherwise reproduce any photos loaned to us.

Comments

[Irene Hahn]

E-mail comments received on The C.O. Miller Department Store at 15 Bank Street:

I remember..... My mom got her wedding gown from there. It was a beauty, and beyond her means but because it was on display she got it for $50.00. Her sister purchased it as a wedding gift. It was made out of what was called "wedding satin", eggshell with "leg of mutton" sleeves and a long train with instet lace (about 3 feet from the hem of the dress). (SE)

But those of us who are old enough to remember the CO Miller store, or have lived here long enough to have shopped there.....think this selection is super! I love the references to the earlier stories about Mr. Miller and his store and then to tie it into 'recent' times via the URC photos makes for a lovely package. I also liked the suggestion of submitting personal recollections and or photos. (JF)

Wonderful story of C.O. Miller. It was still here when we came to Stamford and I recall a few shopping forays. Having worked in a small rural general store in Ohio and then a couple of years in a large dept. store in Cleveland, I find stories about retail establishments very interesting. (MB)