A clear vision, some tested patience and a lot of grace
can go a long way when renovating a historic home.
Marsha Perrewe Durham certainly found this to be true
when a chance conversation with friends led her to
restoring, loving on and living in a 176-year-old home in an
area that is finally getting a lot of love, too.
Downtown Marietta is typically synonymous with the
neighborhoods just north of the Marietta Square. Church
Street, Cherokee Street, Kennesaw Avenue and all of their
connecting neighborhoods have been on countless home
tours, featured in magazines and revered by many. But the
homes just south of the Square, many of which are just as old
and just as beautiful, have often been overlooked.
Today, a drive down East or West Dixie Avenues,
Frasier Street or Manget Street will show that change has
certainly come.
Enter The Slaughter House on Frasier Street. Yes,
Marsha’s 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,800-square-foot house
really is named The Slaughter House, as historic homes
often take the names of their first owners and hers was Dr.
Martin Slaughter.
“It’s a great name for a doctor, right?!” Marsha said, with a
laugh. “I thought when I bought it that maybe we need to try
to change the name, but it just kind of stuck and we just have
The Slaughter House, built in 1845
by Dr. Martin Slaughter just south
of the Marietta Square, has been
lovingly restored by Marsha
Perrewe Durham.
Saving
Slaughter
STORY BY
KATY RUTH CAMP
PHOTOS BY
HADLEY(S) PHOTOGRAPHY
14 COBB LIFE | MAY 2021