The wide stairs are marked by an ornamented pediment in porch roof. The porch is enclosed by paired turned posts supporting a sturdy railing which combines stick work and spindles, and a lighter spindle screen at the top. At the center of the north facade is a shallow projecting pavilion with a facade gable roof. The second floor of the pavilion includes an off-center bay window and a recessed balcony, with elaborate spindle railings or screens, including a fine arch. A t the east end of the porch on the south facade, another exterior entrance is provided, with its own steps, pediment, and above, a projecting round porch, with a conical roof.
Carved ornament is used in the pediments and barge boards.
No decorative shingle work is employed on the Yates house. Prior to the restoration of the exterior which began in the early 1980's, the house had been corsetted for several decades in brown, false-brick asphalt siding. The house has interior features of comparable quality and elaboration to the exterior. A eneas Hurlbut purchased three lots at the northeast corner of 16th and 'G' Streets in 1886 from the State of Nebraska. He had come to Lincoln by 1873 and worked as a clerk for various clothiers.