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How a house gets a new home Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Workers raise power lines to help clear the way for a house being moved down Loto Street in Eagle Point Thursday. The move clears the way for a new Fire District 3 station on the site. Eagle Point moves donated residence downtown to make room for planned district fire station By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT - The city is so up-and-coming, that even houses are on the move. To make room for a new Fire District 3 station, the city moved a 65-by-35-foot house Thursday from 213 Loto St. down Buchanan St. to the vacant lot at 136 Main St., the former site of City Hall. The city plans to use the relocated structure for commercial office space and public restrooms. "The house was built in 1912 for Judge Stewart," said former mayor Dave McFall, who bought the house in 1995. The house had several owners until the Dunford family purchased it and resided there from 1949 to 1995. A contractor, McFall said he and his wife, Ruth, spent a year doing extensive remodeling, which included adding a master bedroom and garage in the back. Last year, when Fire District 3 sought a location to build a new station, the McFalls sold their property and the house to the district, he said. After the fire district determined that it couldn't use the house and considered demolishing it, McFall suggested donating it to the city. And the city, with the help of Doc's House Moving of Central Point, put it on wheels. From 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, the house inched off the property and rolled down the street to its new location. By 3 p.m., Doc's had it in position. "All in all, it went well," said Eagle Point Police Chief Dave Strand, who coordinated the house-moving project. He said that not only were residents supportive, but Charter Communications, Pacific Power and Sprint donated crews and equipment to disconnect and reconnect lines as the house moved down the road. The next steps are to install utilities in the former residence, build a foundation, then lower the house in place, he said. Then the city will begin refurbishing the garage for public rest rooms. "We originally budgeted $65,000 to build public rest rooms," said David Hussell, city administrator. But with the donated house and the $20,000 move, the city's getting a deal. "We'll probably be able to do this whole thing for less than $50,000," he said. Meanwhile, the new fire station plans will go before the planning commission in the next couple of months. The station is expected to be complete this fall, Hussell said. He said the house-moving project is good for the city's future. "It preserves the heritage of the community and provides historical character for the downtown area," he said. Strand agreed. "So much of our history has gone by the wayside," he said, adding that this building will help start efforts to rejuvenate the downtown area. "We want to get people downtown," he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.