JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Preservationists are pushing to save a farmhouse in Mandarin that is over a century old.
The current owner of the Henry C. Arpen House wants to demolish it, but the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission believes it can be preserved.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The commission and the Arpen family are trying to get it designated as a local landmark.
“There are so few remaining examples of old buildings that show what Mandarin was like a century or a century and a half ago and its important to save the ones that are still here,” said Tracey Arpen.
Tracey Arpen’s great uncle built the house around 1880.
“It was built largely from salvage so no two windows in the house are alike, so it’s a pretty unique home for that time,” said Arpen.
Read: St. Johns County holds ribbon-cutting ceremony for relocated Canright House
The home was already recognized as a historic structure nationally, but that doesn’t guarantee it protection from demolition.
The 17-acre site off O’Connor road the home originally sat on was rezoned to bring in a new residential subdivision.
The building owner committed to preserving the property by either moving it to a new location outside of the development or, if a suitable relocation site could not be found, pledging to relocate it to a lot within the development.
According to an ordinance filed by the commission, the building owner illegally removed the chimney from the house and then illegally moved the house without a required city permit.
“It ended up being parked on a lot with the chimney removed and a hole in the roof, which allowed it to deteriorate over the last couple of years,” said Arpen.
The structure has now been deemed unsafe.
The efforts to designate the house as a local landmark were discussed at a city committee meeting Wednesday.
Once the proposal goes through committees, it will go to the full city council for a final decision.
Read: Land swap deal for UF campus and Riverfront Park development moves forward, full purchase proposed
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
