A Historian Makes History

Today we had a historian come to class. Her name is Ruth M. Miller, she is a local Charleston historian who is a graduate of Duke University. She told us all about her exciting life, of living all over America and traveling much of the world. She enjoys tying local history into the American story and worldwide events. Her specialty is local religious history, including extensive knowledge of the history and origins of local congregations, their churches, synagogues and 18th century graveyards 

Miller (left) and Harwood (right)
show off eachother's books

Ruth enjoys digging into the past and sharing her discoveries. She has written 7 books about various topics. Miller says that,“We have the best collection of eighteenth century cemeteries in America”. She believes that Charleston is filled with history that is waiting to resurface. Her visit was truly inspiring and made me believe that history is all around us in this gorgeous historic district.

Miller was very informative and she spoke about how you don't need a degree to be interested in the art of excavating. She gave helpful tips on how to photograph various headstones as well. The information she shared will help immensely, and the amount of knowledge she can recall is impressive. 
Having Ms.Miller in class made the study of genealogy and gravestone iconography interesting and engaging. She had countless stories about specific moments in time and how certain ways of doing things evolved. Miller taught me about the iconography and symbols on gravestones, obelisk,crypts, and other body storage sites. 
After class I was able to view her website, and find specific facts about the numerous books she helped write.