Will Boykin House, State Route 32 & County Route 1 vicinity, Memphis

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,54-MEM,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Boykin House is a good example of a double-pen (two- room) house, one of the basic house types of rural Alabama. Prior to two additions were made at the rear. Dismantled, moved and reconstructed around it served as the dwelling for the Boykins, a black family who owned and farmed the land from about to PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: The original date of erection is unknown. However, the house plan and architectural details suggest a late nineteenth or early twentieth century date. The orig- inal house had a double-pen (two-room) plan. The house is constructed of timber cut with a circular saw, however the sills are hewn.

The two original rooms and northeast ell, the first addition to the house, have interior novelty siding, of the type that was common from to The size and frame construction of the house, characterize it as a "third generation" folk house, the final stage of evolution of this type. Most third generation folk houses in Alabama date from to (Wilson, pp. Around the house was disassembled, moved, and recon- structed on a new site. 2. Architect: Unknown~ 3.

Original and subsequent owners: The Boykin House is situated on a tract of land acquired by the United States of America for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Project and described as follows: "All that tract or parcel of land lying and being in Fractional Section 22, Township 22 South, Range 17 West, Huntsville Meridian, Pickens County, Alabama, being Lots 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Block 10 of the original plat of the Town of Memphis, Alabama, as recorded in Deed Book page 488 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 2) of Pickens County, Alabama. Containing acres, more or less ... n The East Tennessee Title Company, under contract to the United States Army Corp of Engineers, was unable to establish clear title for the former owner, Will Boykin.

Two affidavits of adverse possession were filed for Boykin, recorded in Deed Book located in the Probate Office of Pickens County, Carrollton, Alabama. That affidavit .signed by Earnest Coleman, dated October 15, recorded on page stated that for the forty years Coleman was familiar with the tract of land, Boykin had been in possession of the property. The affidavit signed by William D. King III, dated September 24, recorded on page stated that for the thirty-three years in which King had been familiar with the tract it had been in Boykin's possession.

Both affidavits stated that Will Boykin and his predecessors had exercised these acts of possession over the land: "They have cultivated the soil and harvested the crops therefrom, have grown and harvested timber thereon, have erected fencing and buildings thereon and maintained same, and have exercised the various other acts of ownership which are customarily performed by an owner over his land during this time". According to Alma Coleman, her father, Will Boykin, purchased the land from a man named Ferguson, prior to moving the house to that site. The house formerly located at a different site in or around Memphis, was bought from a family by the name of Ivy. In the United States of America acquired the property from Will Boykin for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Project.

(Warranty Deed, October 15, recorded in Deed Book p. Probate Office of Pickens County, Carrollton, Alabama). 4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: The original builder and contractor are unknown. Alma Coleman stated that around the house was disassembled, moved to a new site by mule- drawn wagons, and reconstructed by her husband Tommy Lee Coleman, who was a carpenter, and her father, Will Boykin. 5, Original construction: The original double-pen house (before it was enlarged) consisted of two adjacent rooms of almost equal size --the western rooms of the present house: (north room 17' 5". x 14" 3", south room 17 '2" x 111 1 2 11 --with two front doors and windows and outside end chimneys on each gable end.

No structural evidence could be seen to indicate that either of the we~tern rooms were built before the other. WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 3) 6. Alterations and additions: Inspection of the structure under- neath the house, indicates that the two eastern (rear) rooms were built, later than the two western (front) rooms and that the northeast room is older than the southeast room. Joists dimension of different, were used --2 x 6s for the rear as opposed to 2 x 8s for the front, and a separate set of piers was built to support the eastern rooms. Th~ two eastern rooms are built against the original exterior vertical boarding of the western rooms.

The northeastern room, like the two west rooms, had interior novelty siding, common from to suggesting that sometime during this period these three rooms constituted the house. The floor joists of the northeast and southeast rooms overlap but are not joined, further indicating that these two eastern rooms are not of the same date. The southeast room is built against the exterior siding of the northeast and the southwest rooms, suggesting that this was the last room to be added. The floor boards of the s.outheast room are cut evenly 5 feet from the current east (rear) wall of this room, and there is a sill running north-south at this point, indicating that this room was widened at some point. The rafters of the shed roof over this room extend the full width of this room however.

An appraisal report made from an inspection of the house on January 13, mentions a 7' by 8 1 back porch. The only evidence of this porch is a 9' board with four smaller support blocks attached, which appear to have carried rafters for a porch roof over the door on the east end of the south elevation. The house as it stood aroung before it was moved to the present site had, according to Almo Coleman, four rooms. Coleman stated that the house was rebuilt, according to the same plan, when moved, and that no major alterations have been made since. The enlargement of the southeast rear room and the construction of the small southeast porch (now gone) may have been done, though, after the house was moved. B.

Historican Events and Persons Associated with the Structure: The Boykin house was the home of Will Boykin and his family for approximately forty years. The family, including Will Boykin's daughter, Alma Coleman, farmed their small 3-acre plot of land, growing about one acre of cotton. They also had a vegetable garden, poultry, and a few dairy cows. The family moved to Memphis from nearby in Mississippi. Will Boykin died in June of WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 4) The owners of the house prior to its relocation were, according to Alrno Coleman, a white family named Ivy. The Ivy families in Memphis, Alabama, according to information provided by Mr. John Lee, were relations of Bird Ivy, a plantation owner or his slaves (who also took the name of Ivory).

Bird Ivy had been one of the wealthiest and most notable planters in the area. (See Memphis, Alabama, HABS Ho. AL-869, Supplemental Material, Section D. 7.) The house is now located near one of the main roads in Memphis, Alabama. The town of Memphis, a thriving river town in,the mid- century, became a rural Black community in the early century. (See HABS No. AL-869) C. Sources of Information: 1. Primary and unpublished sources: Deed Records, Probate Office, Pickens County Courthouse, Carrollton, Alabama. Interviews: Alrno Coleman, Memphis, Alabama, June 30, Former occupant of dwelling and daughter of Will Boykin, provided information about the relocation of the house, and their life after that time.

John Lee, Dancy, Alabama, June 30, Local historian who owned property near Memphis, provided information about the town and the Ivy family. 2. Secondary sources: Wilson, Eugene, Alabama Folk Houses (Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Historical Commission, Wyatt, R. R., Autobiography of a Little Man (Macon, Mississippi: Macon Beacon Office, Autobiography of Dr. "Rufe" Wyatt, who lived in Memphis, Alabama during the late cen- tury. Available in Special Collections, Mississippi State University Library, Starkville, Mississippi, and at Ada Session Fant Library, Macon, Mississippi. Prepared by: Michael Ann Williams Assistant Historian Historic American Buildings Survey August WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 5) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1.

Architectural character: This building is an example of a double-pen (two-room) house, a basic house type in rural Alabama. Additions were made to the rear prior to its having been dismantled and moved to the current site. 2. Condition of fabric: Poor, not maintained. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: This one-story house is (four- bay front) by It has a rectangular plan with two front rooms, two back rooms, and an attached front porch. Chimney height above grade is 2. Foundations: There is a variety of foundation materials used including stone and cast concrete piers. The house is raised above grade on these supports and is unenclosed below floor level. 3. Wall construction, finish and color: The exterior walls consist of vertical wood siding nailed to wood studs.

Exterior walls have been surfaced with asphalt-paper siding, most of which has been removed. 4. Structural system, framing: The structural system, is entirely of wood for the floor, wall, and roof framing. 5. Porches: The front porch in width by in depth) is atv a.ched to the west facade, and is sheltered by a gently sloping metal roof. 6. Chimneys: There are two exterior end chimneys--one on the north gable end, one on the south. Both,-are built in stretcher bond with irregular horizontal coursing. There is a metal stove flue in the southeast rear room. 7. Openings : a. Doorways and doors: There are two main entrances on the west elevation, one into each of the two front rooms. One rear entrance is located on the south wall of the southeast room.

A second rear entrance is located on the north wall of the northeast room. All doors are missing. WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 6) b. Windows and shutters: Windows are located on all four facades, two on the west facade and one on each of the other three facades. The windows are four-over-four, double hung windows with no counterweight mechanisms. 8. Roof: a. Shape, covering: The major gable roof runs north-south and is intersected on its northern rear flank by a lower gable roof over the northeast room. On its southern rear flank a shed roof is attached sloping downward to the east. A shed roof over the entire front porch. Roof covering is predominantly standing seam galvanized metal sheeting. Roof covering on the porch shed roof is corrugated galvanized metal sheeting.

Roof surfaces are unpainted. b. Cornice, eaves: No cornices exist on this building, only plain fascia boards. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plan: This building has only one story composed of four rooms with no connecting halls or corridors. Each of the two front rooms has its own entrance from the front porch. These rooms are connected to each other by a cased opening and to the rooms behind them by doors. The two rear rooms are connected to each other by a cased opening and to the outside by single doors on the north and south facades. Chimneys are located in the front rooms, one on the north end wall and the other on the south. A 5'-deep front porch extends approximately along the west facade. 2. Flooring: Flooring in this building is wood.

Hearths are of cement and have been edged with metal. 3. Wall and ceiling finish: Interior walls across much of the rear portion of the house have been surfaced with horizontal tongue-and-groove wood boarding covered with wallpaper and subsequently painted. Other interior wall surfaces are of vertical boarding covered with wallpaper and subsequently painted or in some cases resurfaces with painted gypsum board. In the front rooms and in the northeast room, ceilings are tongue-and-groove boards covered with wallpaper and sub- sequently painted. The ceiling joists and rafters have been left exposed in the southeast room. 4. Decorative features and trim: There is no special trim except for two pilastered mantels (one composed of molded boards) in the two front rooms.

WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 7) 5. Mechanical equipment: No mechanical equipment exists in this building. There are electric outlets, gas hookups and tele- phone connections, but there is no running water. D. Site: 1. General setting: The house facade faces a broad abandoned field to the west. 2. Outbuildings: A shed measuring approximately 3'4 11 by 16 1 -0" is located roughly 100 feet northeast of the house. An outhouse measuring approximately 4 1 -0" by 6 1 -0" is located roughly 75 feet east of the house. Prepared by: James Murray Howard Project Supervisor Historic American Buildings Survey August WILL BOYKIN HOUSE HABS No. AL-870 (Page 8) PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION These records are part of the documentation done during the Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway Project, undertaken by HABS in cooperation with the Inter- angency Archeological Services, Atlanta, and cosponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile and Nashville Districts, in compliance with Executive Order as a mitigative effort in the construction of the waterway. Records were made of eighteen historic sites and structures in the region between Gainesville, Alabama, and Iuka, Mississippi. The project was executed under the direction of John Poppeliers, Chief, and Kenneth L. Anderson, Principal Architect, of the Historic American Buildings Survey. Project Supervisor was James Murray Howard of the University of Illinois. Project Historian was Betty K.

Bird of the University of Virginia. The Assistant Historian was Michael Ann Williams (University of Pennsylvania). Foreman was Ruthie D. Wiley of the University of Florida. Student Architects who prepared measured drawings for the project were Carol J. Crandall (Carnegie- Mellon University),, Richard J. Cronenberger (University of Miami), Peter G. Darlow (McGill University), Daniel M. Gaines (University of Tennesee), and R. Bradley Mellor (Rice University}. The inventory of sites within the pro- ject area was carried out by Inventory Supervisor J. A. Chewning of the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology. Assistant Historian for the inventory was Pamela J. Wolf (George Washington University). One structure was recorded during the winter of by project supervisor Peter G.

Darlow (McGill University), Sally K. Tompkins, Project Historian, and Staff Architects Bethanie C. Grashof, Rudy Massengill, and Janet Hochuli, James F. Speake and Reginald A. Berry (Howard University). Photographs were taken by David J. Kaminsky in the summer of and by Gil Ford in the spring of