OAKS HOUSE MUSEUM
ONE OF JACKSON'S
OLDEST DWELLINGS
THE BOYD FAMILY
Originally built around 1853, the Boyd House was a cozy cottage where James Hervey Boyd, Eliza Ellis Boyd, and their six children lived. It was a hub of activity, echoing with conversations, music, and daily life. The Boyds entertained guests in the entrance hall and parlor, while the house bustled with meals for the family of eight, schooling, music practice, and religious activities.
The Civil War brought turmoil, as battles surrounded the house, leaving tales of Union soldiers and bullets narrowly missing. Despite the war and Confederate service, the house survived. Over the years, the Boyd children left but often returned with families, maintaining a bustling household. The house underwent changes and Victorian decor under Mary Boyd McGill's care.
Eliza Boyd passed the property to Mary McGill in 1885, who continued the family legacy. The house housed generations until Mary's passing in 1939. Her daughter Mary continued to reside there until 1960, when health led her to move. The Boyd House was eventually entrusted to The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Mississippi in 1960.
Future copy will go here discussing the Boyd family's history and it's connection to Mississippi's history with racial injustice and/or their close ties to the confederacy.
Per Ellen Langford this should be forward facing and transparent, so that folks understand the family's ties to the confederacy etc.