Horton-Beckham-Bretsch House
The ca. 1895 Horton-Beckham-Bretsch House is a bold and now rare example of the Eastlake cottage style in Raleigh. The crowning feature of the house is its front porch with Eastlake-style details that extends the width of the facade, punctuated by an inviting central porch bay that projects to greet you. As much as the grand Eastlake details of the imposing Merriman-Wynne House impress you, the exuberance of the Bretsch House's Eastlake porch delights. The house is associated with the sisters Sallie and Emma Smethurst, who boarded with Sallie from 1927 to Sallie’s death in 1979. The women lived there longer than any of the men, and, as often single women, maintained a household not only by holding down jobs but also through the rent provided by boarders. The house was moved in 1982 from its original location in the 100-block of N. McDowell Street to this location to preserve it from demolition.
