How One North Carolina Couple Is Helping Preserve Their Town's Historic Charm

For the Millers, flipping a house is more than saving an old building. Restoring a historic home means ensuring that it lives on to see more families creating memories in the Millers' hometown of Concord, North Carolina. "I do feel like caregiver," Adam Miller says, reflecting on his experience working with old homes. "If you don't take care of it, then that could be the end of the home… and I want to be the guy that fixes it, so it lasts another 100 years."

Adam and his wife Jessica have always lived in and been surrounded by historic homes. Now with their picture-perfect family of four little boys, the Millers are growing their own roots in the same town where they grew up and fell in love. Concord, North Carolina is the location of many of the state's historic houses, and the Millers are hoping to restore some of the town's original charm. Their own stately white-columned house, built in 1906, was Jessica's childhood home. It's affectionately known as 'The Notebook House' by people in Concord because of its resemblance to the grand home in the movie-adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook.

Growing up, Jessica got used to frequent visits from people who shared stories about her home's past. Now that they've renovated the house and work on others in the area, people in their community often stop by to share stories and memories. "That's the cool thing about sharing history with generations of people, Adam says. "I find it fascinating every time something is uncovered."

Jessica hopes the community excitement will continue with the houses that she and Adam restore. They also share frequent updates on their restoration projects with over fifty thousand followers on Instagram and 1.6 million followers on TikTok. Despite both loving antique items and historic homes, Adam and Jessica never formally discussed flipping houses with each other before diving in. "We fell in love with them," Adam says about old homes. The Miller's 1906 house is the fourth one that they've renovated together, and the place they plan on calling their forever home.

Their current flip project is a 1,200-square-foot mill home, which they want to turn into a cozy cottage. "The fun thing with me and Adam is that we are actually both artists," Jessica says, "So where most people would do it [flip houses] for profit or a quick turnover, it's a creative outlet for us, so we really do like to lean into the process."

They've also dabbled in renovating commercial spaces like The Downtown Warehouse, which Jessica co-owns with her sister. The space, formerly an old hardware store in downtown Concord, is now a charming wedding and party venue.

With every project they tackle, the Millers keep the historic character of a home in mind. "We like to mix in vintage and found objects, but our layouts have a traditional feel," Jessica says.

From driving hours to pick up Facebook Marketplace treasures to popping by The Depot at Gibson Mill, the Millers are always on the hunt for antique pieces with stories.

They even have a personal "antique store" where they keep pieces they've collected over the years and plan to use as staging furniture for future flip homes.

While they love every part of renovating a home, Adam and Jessica agree the real reward is knowing they're helping continue the memory of the space. "We get to be just a small little piece of that puzzle," Jessica says, "We're scooting it along to its future."

A future that's bright, with a dash of historic charm, thanks to the Millers.