Marker Monday: Muir House

A historical marker for Muir House stands in front of a large, two-story red brick mansion with white trim, surrounded by grass and trees on a sunny day.

 

Marker Text

This is the former home of Robert Valentine Muir, an early resident of Brownville. Born in Scotland in 1827, Muir came to America in 1835 and moved to Nebraska in 1856 as Treasurer for the Nebraska Settlement Company. He operated a sawmill, flour business, and ferry. He was also involved in real estate and was a publisher of the Nebraska Advertiser.

 

Muir led an active public life. For years he was a key figure in the Prohibition Party of Nebraska and ran for Governor as its candidate. He died in 1917.

 

One of Nebraska’s most elegant early homes, the house was erected by Muir during 1868-1870. It was built of native Nebraska brick, in the Italianate style. The paneling of butternut, bird’s-eye maple, and black walnut consists of native woods cut in Muir’s own sawmill, located across the river in Missouri. This important example of our early architecture has been restored by Mrs. Harold D. LeMar.

 

Location

Southeast corner of 2nd St & Atlantic Ave, Brownville, NE. View the marker’s location HERE.

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

Nebraska History Spotlight: the Clarkson Historical Society

Nebraska History Spotlight: the Clarkson Historical Society

Nebraska’s Celebration of America’s 250th Birthday

Nebraska’s Celebration of America’s 250th Birthday

Marker Monday: Tornado Hill

Marker Monday: Tornado Hill

No results found.

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.