Charlotte and Andrew Miller

We regret to announce the passing of Past President General Charlotte Miller on November 20, 2025. Mrs. Miller had been a member of The Colonial Dames of America since 1959 and served as its President General from 1978 to 1982.

During her tenure as President General, Mrs. Miller championed several causes, most notably her support of the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum*. By the beginning of her term, the museum garden had been redesigned to reflect a more 19^th century-inspired aesthetic, updated from the original 1955 colonial-era design. Recognizing an opportunity to reconnect members with this treasured site, Mrs. Miller—working alongside Past President and then–Museum Committee Chair Courtney Iglehart—created one of the first slide presentations about the museum and garden, which she shared with chapters across the country during her official visits.

Additionally, she worked to protect the museum building itself – in 1979, construction on the nearby 63^rd Street subway station began to affect the structural integrity of the museum, prompting Mrs. Miller to increase the building’s insurance and begin negotiations with city inspectors to ensure the site’s safety. She also successfully advocated for the relocation of the 61st Street bus terminus to its present location on 60th Street, thus ensuring that those seeking tranquility and a view from the past to do so without the intrusion of a noisy bus stop. It was also during Mrs. Miller’s tenure that dedicated financial support for the Museum building was strengthened, helping to provide resources for the ongoing care and preservation of this historic site.

In her first year as President General, Mrs. Miller established the Remembrance Fund, created in honor of Dames, their family members, and honored friends of the Society. Today, members continue this tradition by making gifts in honor or in memory of loved ones, in support of the Society and the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum.

1980 marked CDA’s 90^th anniversary, which was celebrated with a Society-wide Gala on April 28^th at the New-York Historical Society. Images from the CDA archives show a splendid event, with Dames bedecked in their insignias as they enjoyed an exhibition and the festivities of the evening.

Please join us in remembering Past President Charlotte Miller and honoring her devoted service to CDA, both as its leader and as a cherished member for 66 years. In the words of Mrs. Miller from her very first Annual Meeting Report,

“The CDA is not an anachronism in the 20^th Century, but where the action is: maintaining museums and restorations, offering scholarships, providing continuing education for young and old. Perhaps it is popular to be patriotic!”

*At the time the museum was known as the Abigail Adams Smith Museum