Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Cleona Belle Matthews Boyd
1874-1955
⎯⎯⎯
Boyd Hall
1923-2014
Inscription.
Cleona Belle Matthews Boyd Cleona Belle Matthews, a native of Missouri, taught Greek and Latin at Park College Academy until she married Dean Paul P. Boyd in 1906 and they moved to Kentucky. The Boyds had two children, Virginia and Martha. Cleona Boyd was a very active member of the University of Kentucky community. She was president of the UK Woman's Club for two years and was a member of the Board of Control of Women's Dormitories for 25 years. Because of her service to women's residence halls, the dormitory was named for Boyd around 1933.
Boyd Hall Boyd Hall was named after Cleona Belle Matthews Boyd, wife of Dean Paul P. Boyd. When Boyd Hall opened, it was the third residence hall available for women on the University of Kentucky's campus. Opening in 1904, Patterson Hall was the first campus dormitory for women, with space for just 139 women. In 1920, the University purchased a home on Lexington Avenue just south of the Maxwell Street Church, as a way to accommodate the increased enrollment of women students. Called Smith House, it only housed 40, and it closed in 1932. When Boyd Hall opened, it accommodated another 104 women.
Erected by The University of Kentucky.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location. 38° 2.484′ N, 84° 30.152′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It can be reached from Avenue of Champions (Kentucky Route 1974) south of South Limestone (U.S. 27), on the left when traveling south. Marker is between Patterson Hall and Sarah Bennett Holmes Hall. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lexington KY 40508, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sarah Bennett Holmes / Holmes Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Frances Jewell McVey / Jewell Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Keeneland Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Adolph F. Rupp (1901-77) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Thriving Black Entrepreneurs (approx. 0.2 miles away); Barker Hall and Buell Armory (approx. 0.2 miles away); J. Soule Smith House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Thomas D. Clark (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.
Regarding Cleona Belle Matthews Boyd / Boyd Hall. Boyd Hall was among eight dormitories and classroom buildings demolished in 2014 and replaced by new residence halls.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 524 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 15, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.




