The Oaks was originally a plantation house built by Edmund Harrison near Mattoax in Amelia County. Exactly when the house was built is up for debate, with dates ranging from 1745 to 1764, and as late as 1795. Colonial in style, it was constructed from pine, poplar and bricks that were hand-made on site.

During part of its ownership by the Harrison family it was used as a school for boys. It was then sold to Samuel Jones, later a Confederate officer, in 1839. Lizzie Edmunds Boyd of Richmond purchased the house and the surrounding 280 acres for $10,000 in 1927. At that time, the house had been unoccupied for nearly 25 years and had fallen into a state of disrepair. However, it's interior and exterior woodwork were still in good condition in spite of the neglect. In 1927, Boyd hired the architect K.G. Koltukian and the contractor John. E. Dicks to dismantle, move, and rebuild the house at 307 Stockton Lane, in the newly developed Windsor Farms area in Richmond.

Upon its reassembly, a kitchen and butler's pantry were added, as well as a terraced garden. Boyd bequeathed her home, The Oaks, later known as Boyd House, to the Virginia Museum in 1975. After its transferral, it was used as the home for the Director of the museum, beginning with Paul Perrot and ending in 2013 with Alex Nyerges, when it was placed on the market and sold.

Source: The Historic American Buildings Survey Source: Moving into a Masterpiece Source: 18th-Century House Goes on Market for First Time in its History

Source: Old and Sold: The Oaks