Built in the 1850's as a residence for the family of F. W. Boothroyd, owner of a prosperous boatyard on the property, Boothroyd House was typical of canal-side buildings of its time. Its simple construction, minimal architectural detailing, and hall-in-parlor interior linked it to other Atlantic tidewater designs of the mid-1800's. The original house was probably a small one-story dwelling built on a laid-up stone foundation with a root cellar below. The one-story building was later expanded, and a second story and a one-story kitchen wing were subsequently added.