The Boyd Tavern

UL-51

The presence of the Boyd Tavern, built in the eighteenth-century, greatly influenced the selection of Boydton as the Mecklenburg County seat. A major mid-nineteenth century renovation expanded the original tavern into a 35-room structure that included fancy porches and ornamentation showcasing the craft of regional builder-architect Jacob W. Holt. A Virginia native, Holt established a reputation locally by reshaping the architectural character of the town and outlying county. The tavern closed in the late 19th century and in 1922 was converted into apartments. In 1988, the tavern was deeded to the Boyd Tavern Foundation and restored.

Department of Historic Resources, 2009

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References/Bibliographic Citation:

Bracey, Susan L. Life by the Roaring Roanoke: A History of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Mecklenburg County Bicentennial Commission, 1978. Lounsbury, Carl. “The Courthouses of Early Virginia: An Architectural History.” (University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville, VA, 2005). Moore, Muncey A. History of the Boyd Tavern.” The Boyd Tavern Foundation, 1990. Pritchard, Emily A. and J. Rodney Lewis. “The Life and Times of the Boyd Tavern.” The Boyd Tavern Foundation , 1998. St. John, Jeffrey and Katheryn. “Landmarks 1765-1990: A Brief History of Mecklenburg County, VA. Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors, 1990. Roanoke River Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, “Land by the Roanoke: An Album of Mecklenburg County, VA.” Roanoke River Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, 1957.