Boydville is a late

Georgian style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover— George I, George II, Ge ...

mansion in

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the ...

. The house is near the center of the associated

Boydville Historic District The Boydville Historic District includes an area of Martinsburg, West Virginia that was developed for the well-to-do of Martinsburg at the turn of the twentieth century. The district is named for Boydville, the mansion at the core of the distri ...

in . The house was built in 1812 by Elisha Boyd, a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and an officer of the Fourth Virginia Regiment in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

. The two story stucco-covered stone house consists of a center wing with nine rooms, a right wing that originally served as the nursery, and a left wing that housed the kitchens. The center-hall main house retains its original woodwork, with hand-carved door frames and mantelpieces imported from England. Interior partitions are brick covered with plaster.

Elisha Boyd Elisha Boyd (October 6, 1769 – October 21, 1841) was a Virginia lawyer, soldier, slaveowner and politician who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, and developed Berkeley County. Early and family life Elisha Boyd was born o ...

left the house to his daughter Mary at his death in 1841. Mary was married to Charles J. Faulkner I (1806–1884), was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates who advocated a gradual abolition of slavery and the forcible annexation of Texas from Mexico. Faulkner served as ambassador to France in the

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

administration, 1859–1861. Faulkner was

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

's assistant adjutant-general during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, and was temporary president of the West Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1872. Faulkner's son, Charles J. Faulkner II (1847–1929) became a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and p ...

. During the American Civil War Boydville and two other houses were marked for burning by General

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

in retaliation for the burning of Maryland Governor Bradford's house. On an hour's notice Mary Faulkner obtained an exemption from

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, saving the house. Boydville was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1970.

Digital Art

In addition, Boydville lends its name to a metaphorical location that is said to store all things "Boyd"; flawed or otherwise unsound interactive initiatives referred to in the context of digital art and computational or generative design.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia American Civil War sites in West Virginia Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War Georgian architecture in West Virginia Historic districts in Martinsburg, West Virginia Houses completed in 1812 Houses in Berkeley County, West Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Stone houses in West Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Boyd family of Virginia and West Virginia

Digital Art

See also

References