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Historic Eagle Point building saved Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Members of Eagle Point's historical society have big plans for the historic Wood house, now surrounded by a chain-link fence, off Highway 62 near Eagle Point. The society has a seven-year lease with an option to buy the home, built in 1870 by Civil War veteran Marvin Sylvester Wood, and the surrounding land. By PAUL FATTIG EAGLE POINT - The historic Wood house has a new lease on life. The Eagle Point Historical Society, which had planned to move it downtown near the Eagle Point Museum, now has a seven-year lease on the property where the picturesque house sits along Highway 62. "It's really exciting to think that that's the oldest house around and we're going to be able to save it," said Barbara Hegne, a society member and curator of the Eagle Point Museum. Built in 1870 by Civil War veteran Marvin Sylvester Wood, the deed to the house was given to the group late in 1999 by property owners James and Antonia Folan, who live in California. But plans to move the old structure didn't work out, largely because of city regulations, Hegne said. However, the lease agreement, worked out with the property owners by society member Skip Geear, chair of the Wood house project, is an ideal solution, she said. The group will pay $200 a month to lease one acre, which includes the house. It also has an option to purchase the Folans' entire adjacent 38-acre parcel at any time during the lease. The focus of countless cameras and artists over the years, the old farm house is on the east side of the highway about a mile north of the Linn Road intersection. The interior is strong but the outside, particularly a porch that was added later, needs shoring up, Hegne said. The historical society paid an architect some $8,000 to make precise drawings of every beam, board and nail, she said. "We wanted to make sure it was structurally safe before we started on this," she said. The historical society intends to make sure it retains the original character of the old house, she stressed. "That's our main objective," she said. Work is about to start on repairing the circular driveway in front of the house. "We're getting ready to bulldoze the circular driveway," she said. "There are some big potholes there. We also want to put park benches out there." Decomposed granite will be spread on the driveway surface. The roof will be reshingled, possibly from old shingles used on historic structures being rehabilitated at Crater Lake National Park, Hegne said. "We've already got lumber donated by lumber companies," she said. "We've got volunteers willing to help. We can get quite a bit done before winter." The society also plans to erect a sign that will present the house's storied past along with the names of local businesses and people who donated muscle, money or material to help restore it. Local residents who have old farm implements and old barn wood, windows, doors, shingle siding or other materials from the era when the house was young are asked to donate them to help restore the structure, Hegne said. In addition, anyone who has old items that originated in the house are encouraged to donate them, she said. Fund-raisers for restoring the house are planned for the near future, Hegne said. Tax deductible donations can be sent to the Eagle Point Historical Society & Museum, P.O. Box 201, Eagle Point, OR 97524. Volunteers are also encouraged to contact Geear at 826-2177. Noting that visitations have been declining at the museum downtown, Hegne believes the Wood house could become an extension of the museum. "People think Eagle Point is out on the highway," she said. "They aren't even coming into Eagle Point. "I'd like to see us move part of our museum out on the land out there," she added, noting that could include the old school now at the museum. "If we could get a little gift shop out there, we could even make ourselves self-supporting," she added. "Doing all of that would be my idea of a real exciting adventure." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.