Every spot in the city has experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of years of history — including 215 West 78th Street.

Tom Miller spotted the taller building sandwiched between smaller row houses when he was checking out another building across the street. That’s all it took to get the “Daytonian in Manhattan” to start digging.

What You Need To Know

Tom Miller is known to his legions of history fans as the “Daytonian in Manhattan”

His popular blog digs into the stories of buildings in Manhattan, including who lived and worked there

Miller often speaks to sold out crowds about different parts of Manhattan’s history

“‘These stories are just fascinating,” Miller said. “They shouldn’t be lost.”

Miller’s popular blog details historic spaces in Manhattan, including everything from who designed them to who lived there.

“Some of the most riveting stories aren’t about people like Rockefellers and Fricks and these people that are so famous,” Miller said. “They’re people who are the servants, the middle-class people.”

Miller’s fascination with the past started at a young age. He was visiting condemned houses in his native Dayton, Ohio, when he made a connection.

“I realized that these houses had lives. That people had lived here, had Christmas trees and funerals and things.” 

In 2009, the history buff was showing an architect around Midtown and was told in no uncertain terms that he should be sharing his knowledge with others.

“I didn’t know what a blog was, but he kept harassing me long-distance,” Miller said. “I finally started it. I didn’t think anyone would ever read it,” he added.

That was more than 5,000 posts ago.

Miller has since become something of a local history rock star. His lectures and webinars are described as “standing room only.”

“If someone says this is Tom Miller, the Daytonian in Manhattan, then people will light up, because that’s how they know me. They don’t know me. They know the blog.”

As for 215 West 78th Street, after pouring through historical construction bulletins and old news articles, Miller made some interesting finds.

Johnny Mathis owned the building for a little while. It cost $300,000 to build a century ago. 

“In 1935, a bookie lived there,” Miller added. “His body was found in the trunk of a car.”

“The goal of the blog is to document some of these stories that might be lost if someone doesn’t write them down.”

For keeping the history of Manhattan alive, Tom Miller is our New Yorker of the Week.