{"nrhp_refnum":"08001058","name":"Beaton-Powell House","other_names":["Home Place"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"32142 South Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Boykins","county":"Southampton County","state":"VA","lat":36.58333166400007,"lon":-77.20039910999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-11-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Exploration/Settlement"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, five-bay plantation house completed in 1857 at the corner of South Main Street and Virginia Avenue in Boykins, Southampton County, Virginia, built by town founder Edward Beaton. It sits on a half-acre lot with one noncontributing building.","why_significant":"The house is argued to be locally significant under Criteria B and C. It is a well-preserved example of Greek Revival architecture with Italianate embellishments, and it is linked to Edward Beaton, founder of Boykins, and to later generations of Beaton and Powell family members who served as town officials and local figures. It is the only house remaining in the South Main Street business district and has been essentially undisturbed since 1857.","narrative":"Built in 1857 in Boykins, Virginia, this two-story plantation house was raised by Edward Beaton, the founder of the town, who anticipated the economic boost of the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad. The timber-framed, five-bay house rests on a continuous brick foundation and is dominated by a two-tier portico with chamfered columns. Its Greek Revival character shows in the symmetry, corner pilasters and wide entablature, while large brackets under the roof overhang reflect Italianate influence. Inside, heart-pine floors, plaster ceiling medallions, eight fireplace surrounds and black walnut staircases remain intact. Ownership passed from Beaton to his son William, the town's postmaster and first mayor, and later to the Powell family, whose members included a mayor, a store operator and a county schools administrator. The house is the only one left in the South Main Street business district. Its significance covers architecture and social history from 1857 to 1954, the year the roof was repaired after Hurricane Hazel.","period_of_significance":"1857-1954","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival with Italianate embellishments","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Used as a single dwelling; described as essentially undisturbed, with ongoing restoration, including of the first-floor side porch.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.086235-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/6836/41683699/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/08001058.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001058/972137e5c8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001058/972137e5c8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Obicivolunteer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Obicivolunteer</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683699","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaton%E2%80%93Powell_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15198007"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/southampton-county/beaton-powell-house-08001058/"}