Boyd House
historic place
The Boyd House, a historic place in San Rafael, Marin County, was constructed in 1879. Ira Cook commissioned this Victorian Gothic Revival style building to serve as a guest house for his family's main residence, known as Maple Lawn. Ira Cook's granddaughter, Louise, later married John Franklin Boyd. In 1905, John and Louise Boyd donated the house and its surrounding grounds to the City of San Rafael. This donation created a memorial park in memory of their two sons, who had both died in their teens. The Boyd House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The City of San Rafael further designated it a local landmark in 1976. Since 1959, the Boyd House has been home to the Marin History Museum. This site represents a notable example of 19th-century architecture and community philanthropy in Marin County.