Named for Colonel Thomas Jefferson Boyd, "The Father of Wytheville," the Boyd Museum is housed in Wytheville's first agricultural classroom building constructed in 1926. Colonel Boyd moved to Wythe County in 1830 and served in various public offices for more than 53 years. He is credited with surveying and laying out the streets of the town of Wytheville.
The purpose of the Thomas J. Boyd Museum is to interpret the history of the people of Wythe County, and to collect, preserve, and utilize artifacts and other material of intrinsic historical significance relating to their lives and experience. Here you will find exhibits on a variety of topics including the Civil War in Wythe County, Wytheville's first fire wagons, the lead mining industry, and the history of Afro-American education in Wythe County. You will also learn about the Wythe County connections of Famous Americans - Edith Bolling Wilson, Major General J.E.B. Stuart, and the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin.
Of special interest to genealogists and researchers of local history, the Museum Resource Center is located on the first floor of the Boyd Museum. The Boyd Museum is also the home of the Discovery Corner which provides hands-on learning opportunities for children. For more information about these areas, please click on their icon below or on our main page.