Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
“The Alvin Miller House is a Usonian home beside the Cedar River in Charles City, Iowa. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed over a five-year period completed in 1951.”
Wikipedia article Alvin Miller House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 20 National Register listings published here for Floyd County · listed in 1978 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 9 fires within 5 miles of Alvin Miller House between 2006 and 2015, burning about 9 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Smoking | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 22 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.2 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 April 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 March 2015 | Smoking | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 October 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 26 January 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Alvin Miller House: 6 past producers, 2 unknowns. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Nims Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Becker Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| La Coste Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Charles City, the town this property stands in, in 92 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 38 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 18 flood, 7 heavy rain. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1996 | Hail | Charles City | 1 hurt, $600,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Charles City | $415,000 | The public reported baseball sized hail on the east side of Charles City. |
| August 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Charles City | $400,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Charles City | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Flood | Charles City | $172,000 | Significant rainfall later in June pushed the Cedar River at Charles City into flood stage late on June 22nd. The river stage crested during the morning on June 24th in major flood stage at 21.57 ft. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Charles City | $150,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Hail | Charles City | $100,000 | Emergency Management reported 2 inch diameter hail in Charles City. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Charles City | $100,000 | Water was reported in numerous basements. Flooding was also reported along Highway 18 in the Charles City area. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Charles City | $100,000 | no account filed |
| August 1994 | Hail | Charles City | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $35,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Charles City | $35,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Charles City | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2016 | Flood | Charles City | $15,000 | Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested nine feet above the flood stage at 21 feet. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $15,000 | A semi-truck was blown over on Highway 18 just west of Charles City. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Charles City | $12,500 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $10,000 | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred just south of Charles City. A section of the Avenue of Saints was closed to allow utility crews to repair power lines. |
| August 2016 | Lightning | Charles City | $10,000 | A house fire in Charles City was started by lightning. Damage to the house was minimal and confined to the attic. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $8,000 | A severe thunderstorm produced an estimated 60 mph wind gust. The winds from the storm blew down several large trees across Charles City with one tree falling on a house. Riverside Cemetery was hit especially hard with numerous trees down. |
| September 2005 | Hail | Charles City | $7,500 | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $5,000 | Trees were blown down. One home was damaged. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Hail | Charles City | $4,000 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $3,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in Charles City. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $3,000 | Several large trees were blown down. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $3,000 | One to three foot diameter trees were blown down in Charles City. |
| July 2003 | Hail | Charles City | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $2,000 | Trees were knocked down at the intersection of 8th and Johnson Streets in Charles City. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $2,000 | Several trees were blown down in Charles City by estimated 50 to 60 mph winds. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Charles City | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $1,250 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Charles City | $1,250 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Charles City | $800 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | $750 | no account filed |
| August 2025 | Flood | Charles City | - | Heavy rain during the middle of August allowed the Cedar River at Charles City to rise into flood stage during the morning on August 19th. The site crested at 13.48 ft in minor flood stage just after midnight on August 20th before falling below flood stage during the late afternoon on August 20th. |
| September 2025 | Hail | Charles City | - | The public reported quarter sized hail in Charles City. The report was provided via social media. |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Charles City | - | Multiple sources reported a very short lived non-supercell tornado south of Charles City, IA. Video footage showed a brief touchdown in an open field. No damage was observed. |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | - | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred at the fire station in Charles City. |
| August 2021 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested over four feet above the flood stage at 16.27 feet on the 29th. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rains causes several streets in Charles City to become flooded. Some of the streets were impassable. |
| August 2021 | Heavy Rain | Charles City | - | In Charles City, 4.38 inches of rain fell. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Charles City | - | Quarter sized hail fell in Charles City. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from rain and melting snow pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested over three feet above the flood stage at 15.79 feet on March 16th. |
| April 2018 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from rain and snowmelt pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested just over the flood stage at 12.1 feet. |
| May 2018 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Cedar River to go out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested less than a foot above the flood stage at 12.73 feet. |
| September 2018 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested almost two feet above the flood stage at 13.84 on September 22nd. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | - | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred west of Charles City. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Charles City | - | Up to golf ball sized hail fell west of Charles City. |
| June 2018 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river exceeded the flood stage twice. The first crest was about a quarter of a foot above the flood stage at 12.24 feet on the 8th. The second crest was a half foot above the flood stage at 12.55 feet on the 10th. |
| July 2017 | Heavy Rain | Charles City | - | In Charles City, 6.63 inches of rain fell. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charles City | - | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred in Charles City. |
| June 2016 | Heavy Rain | Charles City | - | The COOP observer in Charles City measured 3.48 inches of rain. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Charles City | - | The COOP observer in Charles City measured 6.35 inches of rain. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Charles City | - | The COOP observer in Charles City measured 3.35 inches of rain. |
| August 2016 | Flood | Charles City | - | Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Cedar River out of its banks in Charles City. The river crested just under a foot above the flood stage at 12.96 feet. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County Court House | 0.2 miles | 2003 | |
 | Sherman Nursery Company Historic District | 0.3 miles | 2014 |
| Central Park-North Main Street Historic District | 0.3 miles | 1976 | |
| Charles Henry Parr House | 0.4 miles | 1980 | |
 | Dr. Salsbury's Laboratories, Main Office and Production Laboratory Building | 0.4 miles | 1996 |
 | Main Street Bridge | 0.5 miles | 1999 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 78001221 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Floyd County | All 20 listed properties in this county. |
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