Belle Boyd House

The house gets its name from Marie Isabelle Boyd, who later changed her name to Belle. It was Belle’s father, Benjamin Reed Boyd who had the house constructed on Race Street, along the alley which later became known as Spring Street. His purchase of Lot 50 in Martinsburg for the paltry sum of $350, allowed him to begin construction of a mansion in the Greek Revival style in 1853.

By the end of that year, construction had been completed, and Benjamin’s family had moved in. Soon afterward, Benjamin caused construction to begin on a huge storeroom situated on the western side of the house. From that storeroom, he operated a general merchandise store, until the entire building was sold out of the family in 1857.

After the Boyds

Since the Boyds relinquished ownership to the house, it has had many different owners and has gone through several different renovations. The last of these occurred in 1992, when the house was formally saved from being demolished by the Martinsburg City Council. At that time, the building was purchased by the Berkeley County Historical Society, which completely restored the structure, and developed it for use as the Berkeley County Museum.

Interior of the house

When you walk inside the Belle Boyd House, on the immediate right you’ll find the original ballroom, which is decorated in the same style that it would have been during Benjamin Boyd’s time, and is heavily influenced by Victorian styles. There are two fireplaces in this giant room with two black slate mantle pieces, both of which are supported by white marble, as was common in the Greek revival style.

This large and accommodating room is currently used for receptions, seminars, and meetings, and is rented out to individuals interested in conducting their business sessions in an atmosphere of Victorian splendor. On one end of the ballroom, there’s a door which leads to the huge space added on by Benjamin Boyd in 1853, which served as his General Store for five full years.

On the second floor, you’ll find the master bedroom, as well as a slightly smaller bedroom which probably served as Belle Boyd’s bedroom. These rooms are now furnished with artifacts and exhibits from Berkeley County history, some of which are permanently on display, and others which rotate to other locations. Other rooms in the house serve as a costume room, a toy room, a war and military room, an industry room, and a black history room.

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