In the 1860s, Robert Milner, a young English immigrant, came to the growing town of Chatham, Canada West.  Here, he started a modest buggy and sleigh manufacturing business.  In 1874, at the age of 19, Emma Wicks married Robert. Emma became a prominent artist even though she didn't have any formal training. She specialized in "crayon" portraits (pencil stippling) for which she won many awards

By the 1890s, the Milner Carriage Works had grown to become one of the largest vehicle producers in southern Ontario and Robert had established himself as one of Chatham’s “Captains of Industry.”  Robert and his wife, Emma, built this Queen Anne style residence on the corner of William and Murray Streets in 1894.  Together, they had seven children.

In 1943, following Emma’s death in 1936, and Robert’s in 1941, their children donated the house to the City of Chatham and, for over 45 years, the residence served as the Chatham-Kent Museum.  Today, the restored Milner Heritage House depicts the turn-of-the-century lifestyle of a successful industrialist and his family.  Costumed interpreters take visitors back in time to 1905 when stereoscopes, gramophones, and magic lanterns were a family’s means of entertainment and a “modern” kitchen consisted of a wood stove, ice box, and a new, all-purpose “Chatham” cupboard.

The home also features a stunning collection of art by Emma Milner.  Her greatest pieces were the incredibly detailed pencil portraits that she created of her family, friends, and famous personalities of the day.