The historic Mill Grove house at the John James ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Center
John James Explore

Historic House at Mill Grove

Discover John James ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½â€™s first home in America.

The Historic House is open for docent-led tours at 11:00 am and 12:30 pm Wednesday through Sunday.  All tours of the Historic House must be signed up for at the Front Desk of the Visitor Center.  

The John James ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Center is located at Mill Grove, a Montgomery County Historic Site and the first American home of famed artist and naturalist John James ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½. He arrived at Mill Grove in 1803 at the age of 18 and lived on the property until 1806. It was here that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ became captivated by the beauty and variety of birds surrounding him, and where he pioneered the practice of bird banding in North America while studying Eastern Phoebes.

Walk in ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½â€™s footsteps as you tour his historic stone farmhouse at Mill Grove. Inside the home, you will find artifacts and original ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ paintings. The historic house was reopened in 2017 after being closed for a two-year renovation. The facelift included new plaster, paint, electrical work, rebuilding of the home’s chimneys, bathroom renovations, new exhibits, and much more.