The Gilliam-Pritchard House

This five gable, late Italianate home offers an unique blend of historic character and modern comforts.

Built in the late 19th century to its current profile, this beautiful home enjoys an in-town mini-estate setting. The 1.5 acre lot is a full block deep--its driveway weaving past magnolias, four porches, and the former three bay carriage house (circa. 1880) before exiting onto the back street.

This home invites you to relax with its abundance of porches. Delicate floral millwork, balustrade scrollwork, and detailed brackets all create an atmosphere of casual elegance. Whether you settle in on the large, triple bay front porch, find a favorite spot on the master bedroom porch, or lounge on the L-shaped rear porch, you'll appreciate the experience.

Once inside, the center hall opens up to dual parlors, an impressive stairway, and an intricate curtain spindle work entrance. Beautiful wood floors, high ceilings, heavy moldings, and abundant windows create warm and bright living spaces.

To the left the parlor now serves as a formal living room and welcomes you with its high windows, wood-burning fireplace, and dentil molding. The master suite includes a large bedroom, a bath with walk-in closet, and direct access to its own secluded porch. The nearby office is a cozy room with half bath and closet.

To the right is the dining room with its double dentil-trimmed mantel fireplace, the family room with stained paneling and gas log fireplace, a bright breakfast room with picture window, a well-equipped kitchen with abundant storage, plenty of counter space, sitting area and adjoining laundry/mudroom with fenced rear yard access.

Climb the stairs with its beautiful balustrade and you'll find a wide upper hallway, two bedrooms sharing a bath to the left and two more bedrooms and a full bath to the right. Pull down stairs lead to a spacious attic.

The grounds are pleasingly landscaped. The fenced in yard includes a patio. The hipped roof, weatherboard-sided, frame triple bay carriage house now offers a large wired workshop and adjoining utility storage space.

This home is recognized as a Contributing Building within the Scotland Neck Historic District and as such is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Its official description follows:

Gilliam-Pritchard-Leggett House  (c. 1860/c.1900/c.1930)

Two-story, single-pile, frame house with Italianate- and Queen Anne-style details; weatherboard siding; side-gable shingle roof; three front gables, each with elaborate sawn gable ornament and diamond-pattern shingles; a pair of nine-over-nine sash windows with a molded cornice located below the larger central gable; twelve-over-twelve sash windows with molded cornices flank the central paired window; symmetrical three-bay facade; central six-panel glazed door with a transom in an architrave surround with paneled pilasters flanked by twelve-over-twelve sash windows; one-story hipped-roof, porch with projecting sections at each of the side bays and a broader projecting section at the central, entrance bay; porch embellished with cut-out frieze, eaves brackets, bracketed chamfered posts, and a sawn balustrade; south-side, one-story, wing with identical porch treatment; two-story rear wing across back; one-story rear ell projects from wing; two interior rear chimneys; documented history begins with Henry Gilliam who purchased a house and three-acre tract in 1863; subsequently went through several additional owners in late nineteenth century; acquired in 1899 by lumberman, T.H. Pritchard, who was responsible for addition of second floor and the house's remodeling; purchased in 1907 by James Wilson and Margaret Leggett who extensively remodeled the house in the 1930's.

This lovely estate is situated amidst fine older homes in a prominent area of the town. Scotland Neck is a beautiful southern town with lovely historic homes, food chains, expanded library, post office, churches, schools and colleges nearby. The town is a popular area for water sports. Lake Gaston is thirty minutes away offering lots of water sports recreation. The Outer Banks are within 1-1/2 hour drive, The City of Greenville (ECU) and Rocky Mount are within 3/4 hour. There are good medical facilities within the town. I-95 is twenty-five minutes away.