Belle Boyd House

This Greek Revival residence was built in 1853 by Ben Boyd, father of Isabella (Belle) Boyd, one of Martinsburg’s most notorious and colorful figures from the Civil War era. Belle earned her fame as a Confederate spy and confidant of General Stonewall Jackson. In addition to running messages with sensitive information to the Confederates, Belle shot and killed a Union soldier who entered the family’s home on South Queen Street in 1861. She was imprisoned in Washington, DC on two separate occasions. Ironically, after the war, Belle Boyd married a Union officer and became an actress on the London stage.

Part of the house is a museum highlighting the Civil War, Belle Boyd, and military artifacts of 19th-and 20th-century wars. The Archives & Research Center, located in a historic home next door, is the main historical and genealogical research center for Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties.

Each December, the Belle Boyd House is trimmed for Christmas in Victorian style decor.

If you go: Located at 126 E. Race St., Martinsburg, WV; For Hours of Operation, Tour Info and More: 304-267-4713 • www.historicberkeley.org