The Walter Brem House
Walter Brem was born in Charlotte on July 31, 1849. In addition to his career in the insurance industry, he was an important civil leader and was actively involved in the Charlotte public school system and the city YMCA. He was married to the Governor Todd Robinson Caldwell’s daughter – Hannie Caldwell Brem. Together, they had four children.
The Walter Brem House was erected in 1903 by the Four Cs (Charlotte Consolidated Construction Company) and designed by C. C. Hook, Charlotte’s first permanent resident architect whose designs included Charlotte City Hall and the Duke Mansion, to name a few. The Brems purchased the home for $6,045.86 and lived there until 1912 when they purchased and moved into a smaller home a block to the east. They sold the home in 1914 for $9,000 to Reggie Craver who was a pioneer in the Motion Picture industry in the Carolinas.
The home changed hands through the depression – through investment companies – until it was sold to Mrs. Mae King Blume in 1936. Mrs. Blume was a widower and a true entrepreneur even for today’s age. She converted the home to an apartment building known as the Colonial Apartments while she also owned and managed 7 other hotels. She resided at the Walter Brem House from 1939 through the 1980s – making her the longest standing proprietor of the Walter Brem House. The Walter Brem House remains one of the earliest and most grand examples of the Colonial Revival style in Charlotte and is one of the oldest houses on East Boulevard in Dilworth, Charlotte’s first streetcar suburb.
Sodoma Law
The home changed hands two more times before Ron and Nicole Sodoma purchased it in 2010 with the hopes of bringing a new energy to its historic walls. Sodoma Law relocated its office from Harding Place in Dilworth to the grand Colonial, occupying all of its almost 6,500 square feet. Sodoma Law’s other office locations are on Morehead Street in the historic G.G. Galloway House (also purchased by the Sodomas in 2013), Ballantyne and Monroe, North Carolina, and most recently, Rock Hill, South Carolina. Practice areas include Family Law, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Estate Planning, Business Litigation, Mediation, and Employment Law.
In 2014, the historic Walter Brem house also became a home to the Sodoma Law Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Sodoma Law, which primarily provides support for organizations that impact the well-being of children regionally and nationally, and those who support the charitable endeavors of children and families.
Dilworth Home Tour
In 2018 the historic Walter Brem House is joining the 46th Annual Dilworth Home Tour. Tour goers will have the opportunity to stop by, pick up tour information, and explore one of the oldest houses in historic Dilworth, or just sip a cool beverage on the sprawling porch. Plus, don’t forget to pick up your Charlotte Bcycle and enjoy the tour, and the weather, this year!
The 46th annual Dilworth Home Tour will be held on Friday, Sept. 21 from 6pm-9pm and Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10am-4pm. Each year, the non-profit Dilworth Community Association (“DCA”) stages this much-anticipated tour to welcome friends and neighbors to enjoy a tour of Charlotte’s first Streetcar Suburb. Proceeds benefit DCA efforts to promote and protect the integrity of the Dilworth community and environment. Each year, a portion of the funds raised is dedicated to the local charity selected by the DCA’s giving arm, Dilworth Cares. This year’s recipient is the Dilworth Soup Kitchen.
Advance tickets are $25. The price goes up to $30 on the days of the tour. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.dilworthonline.org/ or at the following stores: Dilworth Drug, High Cotton Home, Paper Skyscraper, Park Road Books, and Ultra Running.
Read more about the Dilworth Home Tour from Charlotte Five and Charlotte Agenda.
Read more about the Dilworth Home Tour from Creative Loafing.