William and Alice Miner’s Chazy

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Philanthropist and businessman William Miner grew up in rural Chazy and made his fortune by inventing, patenting, and manufacturing specialized railroad equipment. In 1903, he and his wife, Alice, returned to the family’s Chazy farm and began more than three decades of innovative philanthropic work in the region. In this expert-led outing, embark on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes visit to two of the Miners’ most significant and lasting achievements: The Alice Museum and Heart’s Delight Farm. The Miners established the museum in 1924 in a three-story stone mansion that was modified to house Alice’s collection of art and decorative objects. Heart’s Delight Farm was an organizational and technological marvel in its day that employed 800 people and featured 300 buildings on 15,000 acres. In the 20th century, the farm evolved into the Miner Institute which now focuses on pioneering agricultural research and livestock breeding, as well as providing educational programs in farm management and environmental science. This behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, Heart’s Delight Farm, and the finely crafted cobblestone chapel and accompanying family mausoleum will offer a sweeping and informative glimpse into how the family and Chazy evolved and continue to influence one another today.

This tour will be led by The Alice Museum’s Ellen Adams and Leni Vredalis, and Miner Institute’s Amy Bedard and other staff working around Heart’s Delight Farm. The tour begins at 10 AM and ends around 3:30 PM.

The fee is $60 for AARCH members and $75 for non-members.