Keeping History Afloat

written and photographed at 2025 Mountain Workshops.

For Orloff Miller, history is everywhere — from the early 1850s home he shares with his wife, Elisabeth, to his classic 1952 MG-TD and the sailboat he’s building in his garage. Orloff, 69, is a retired historical archaeologist with an expansive career and extensive knowledge of Mason County. Since moving here almost 20 years ago, Orloff and Elisabeth have become a fixture in the community for their historical knowledge.

Orloff applies the same dedication he brought to his career in archaeology to his personal projects at home.

“I always liked a mix of working with my head and working with my hands,” Orloff said. With his face covered in an industrial particle N95 mask and gloved hands, he looks right at home in his garage. Since his retirement, Orloff has spent two years building a sailboat; he predicts it will be done by June 2026 at the latest. The boat will be named “Red Tail” in honor of his father’s boat “Seagull,” which he says inspired him to build a boat of his own from a kit. Both names refer to birds.

While Orloff’s life history has encouraged him to craft his own sailboat, an impassioned love for history has defined his career and his life in retirement.

Orloff speaks passionately of times past: of the architectural and human history of Mason County as well as the impact that restoration and remembering history has on the town and its people. After years spent on archaeological digs and writing detailed reports, he understands the lasting value of that work. “The level of change is more profound than we realize,” he said.

The Millers’ home stands as one of Mason County’s well-preserved and history-filled houses. It is a testament to their dedication to authenticity and preservation. Both Orloff and Elisabeth have invested countless hours ensuring not just their own home, but also the community’s historic structures, retain their history.

Elisabeth, who has been the president of the Mason County Historical Society for about 19 years, is just as invested in history as her husband. The couple will often drive around the county and the surrounding areas to observe and date the historic buildings and homes. “We do it for fun,” Elisabeth said. 

For Orloff, retirement hasn’t meant quitting, it’s meant finding new ways to connect with the past. “I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said, reflecting on the years spent studying the past and now building something to carry it forward.

As “Red Tail” takes form, the boat acts as both a personal project and a bridge between generations. For Orloff, preserving the past isn’t just about memory, it’s about making something last, and his sailboat will carry history forward on the wind.

“I love that feeling when the wind catches the sails,” he said. ”There’s nothing else like it.”