Martinsburg - Belle Boyd House Museum

Ms. Edwards and I had never heard of Belle Boyd before coming to Virginia. When she heard about another house that Belle Boyd lived in she decided that we should go and check it out. We left Front Royal and headed to Martinsburg West Virginia.

We arrived at the Belle Boyd House and we had a tour of the house.




I can honestly say that I have never seen a house like this. The shapes of the rooms upstairs were very unique. There were so many nooks and odd shaped room. It was designed very interestingly. I would hate to be the one who would have to clean. The house was supposed to be torn down. The Berkely County Historical Society purchased it on August 17, 1992.

If someone wanted to visit this house they would hear the story of Belle Boyd and would see some artifacts that would have existed in the time of Belle. There were exhibits to other events and to people who were from the area of Berkely County.

There was one room for a baseball player known as Hack Wilson. I have no idea who he was but there was a room dedicated for him.

There were also rooms for WWI, WWII, a desk from the Pentagon, a purple heart and much more.

Facts I learned about Belle Boyd House and Belle Boyd:

• Born in Berkeley County, West Virginia on May 9, 1843.
• Christened Marie Isabella Boyd.
• Her parents were Benjamin Reed Boyd and Mary Glenn Boyd.
• Belle's family moved to Martinsburg around the time she was seven years old.
• Belle was expelled from school and was sent to Mt. Washington School in Baltimore, Maryland in 1856.
• Belle began her life as a spy in 1858.
• Her father joined the Confederate Army.
• July 4, 1861 - Belle shot a soldier who broke into her parents house and insulted her mother.
• She went to live with her Aung Fanny Stewart in Front Royal at a small boarding house.
• She gave information to General Jackson at Front Royal.
• Belle ended up marrying an union soldier named Lieutenant Harding (New York). He agreed to join the Confederate army.
• Belle went to Canada and then London. (An agreement she made to leave the country with the government)
• Lieutenant Harding was arrested and imprisoned and Belle Boyd sent a letter to Lincoln threatened to share information that she knew about Washington if her husband wasn't released.
• Harding was released and went to London. They both acted on stage.
• Belle is the first Virginian to publish a book abroad. She was also the first actress abroad from West Virginia.
• She published Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison in 1865.
• Belle Boyd returned to New York in 1867 with her daughter. She divorced her husband.
• She married John Edmond Hammond and they had four children.
• At the age of 43, Belle married her third husband. His name was Hugh High and he was 25 years old.
• She died on Junie 11, 1900.