The house that unlocked a family's history

Fred Miller, an Air Force veteran, bought a Gothic Revival-style house with a green roof, named Sharswood, near his childhood home in southern Virginia. He bought the house not only for its spaciousness but also to host family gatherings. Little did he know, Sharswood was once a plantation built in the 1850s by a slave-owning uncle and nephew with the same last name, Miller.

When Lesley Stahl from 60 Minutes visited the property in 2022, she interviewed Fred Miller and his family, discussing the history of Sharswood and its past inhabitants. Fred Miller's sister, Karen Dixon-Rexroth, and their cousins Dexter Miller and Sonya Womack-Miranda conducted most of the research into the property's past. Karen Dixon-Rexroth mentioned that she was drawn to learning the history of the place, starting from its 1800s origins and delving into records available online.

With the help of local historian Karice Luck-Brimmer, the Millers uncovered documents proving that their ancestors were once enslaved at Sharswood. This revelation made Fred Miller realize that the slaves brought food into the main house through the basement stairs, and there was a distinct wear on the stairs from years of traffic.

As the 60 Minutes team visited Sharswood, they discovered a cluster of trees beyond Fred's property line, which turned out to be the likely burial site of their enslaved ancestors. Fred Miller expressed his emotional response to finding the cemetery, stating that it was "heart-wrenching" to realize that all his wondering was right under his nose the entire time.

Since the 60 Minutes story aired in May 2022, Fred Miller has moved back to Virginia and established a non-profit Sharswood foundation to maintain the slave quarters and cemetery. He also offers tours of the house.