Boykins is a town in Southampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 516 at the 2020 census, and in 2025 about 525.

The Beaton-Powell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Completed in 1857, this two-story plantation house has a living area that exceeds four thousand square feet and has an additional five hundred square feet of porch space. This residence has classic Greek Revival characteristics: the front portico with its pediment-like roof line supported by four columns; its bilateral symmetry; the corner pilasters that shoulder a wide entablature; the two- and four-panel doors; the two-over-two double hung sash windows and the five-inch exposure clapboard. The large roof overhang supported by massive brackets illustrates the Italianate influence. The milled timber framing is supported by a continuous brick foundation. All eight fireplace surrounds, exposed heart pine floors and most of its plaster walls, ceilings, crown molding and medallions are a few of the interior features that remain undisturbed. The original kitchen, which predates the house, was demolished with some of the wood used to remodel a neighboring property. A noncontributing building on the property was constructed to complement the house.

The Beaton-Powell House has an abundance of Italianate embellishments but is primarily of the Greek Revival Style, alternately, in its antebellum heyday, called the National or Democratic and even the American Greek Revival Style.1 This two-story plantation house was built in 1857 on a 600-acre tract of land, known as Boykins Depot by the town's founder, Edward Beaton.2 The house is now located on a half-acre landscaped lot at the northwest corner of Main Street and Virginia Avenue in the Town of Boykins, Southampton County, Virginia.3 Three conspicuous diagonal braces link together four paired, seven-inch square chamfered columns that support the massive, elaborate two tiered central portico which is capped with a gable roof.

At the 2000 census there were 620 people in 255 households, including 180 families, in the town. The population density was 905.6 people per square mile (352.0/km). There were 287 housing units at an average density of 419.2 per square mile (163.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 61.61% White, 37.42% African American, 0.32% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13%.

References

  • Town of Boykins Website