During the early statehood period the manufacture and distribution of furniture was one of the most important industries in Oklahoma City. A leader in that field was the Oklahoma Furniture Manufacturing Company, guided by the man who built this house in 1919, Austin Miller.

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A native of Tennessee, Miller attended the University of the South and the University of Tennessee, then went to work for the Memphis Furniture Manufacturing Company. In 1918, at the age of 37, he was transferred to Oklahoma City, where he expanded operations, built a new warehouse and factory at 101 East Grand, and increased sales in surrounding states. He served the firm as president until 1937, when he moved from the house on 17th.