The home at 142 Sutherlin Avenue was built contemporarily with its neighbors at 138 and 134 Sutherlin Avenue and were among the first homes built on property that was once a portion of the rear yard of Sutherlin Mansion.
Development of Sutherlin Avenue began in 1890 when William T. Sutherlin (at left) offered up for sale a sizeable portion of his land. It was necessary he raise $30,000 in order to pay a debt to Thomas Fauntleroy of Campbell County. The land up for sale was that which was situated on Sutherlin Avenue and bordered by Chestnut and Green streets. A group of interested parties came together to purchase the 60 lots available and together formed the Berryman Green Trust. In exchange for the property, the trust paid Sutherlin $7,500 “cash in hand” and secured three additional bonds valued at $7,500 each to be paid annually over the next three years.
When the trust defaulted on the third of those bonds, J.P. Harrison, as attorney and trustee, was given authority to sell the remaining lots at auction on behalf of the remaining parties who still held interest in the property.
In the spring of 1895, Harrison, on behalf of trustees James L. and Almeyda Treadway, transferred lot number 16, 142 Sutherlin, to William Penick Boatwright, who built his home there two years later. Boatwright was the fiscal guardian of Mary Brown Hamlin and Margaret Brown Conway who lived in the two houses next door (134 and 138 Sutherlin Avenue).
William Boatwright was a Danville businessman who, with his brothers, founded the printing company of Boatwright Brothers, Inc. Later he entered the furniture trade and established the Boatwright Furniture Co. William married Katherina Walker in 1893 and the couple had three children together, all of which died before the age of four. “Rena”, as she was called, passed away in 1948. When Mr. Boatwright followed her just a year later, the house was sold.
It was purchased by William Lee and Frances Houghton Moore who owned and maintained the home until 2018 when Mrs. Moore passed away at 101 years of age. Read more about the Moore family.
