Imagine That!
I was off to go shopping, and what did I see?
A big yellow house right in front of me.
I whipped out my camera,
my iPhone that is,
And took all these photos,
For my blog not to miss.
Imagine my surprise as I turned north onto Isaacs and drove a couple blocks only to be stopped by this sight at the bend in the road where Isaacs becomes Rose Street. Since there was no traffic, I stopped my car and snapped a picture before the house moved too far around the corner. Then I made a quick U Turn as there still was no traffic and drove around to the next block where I parked and ran to the corner, iPhone in hand, ready to capture this historic event in photos.
The funny thing is, I had previously read about this upcoming house move in the local paper last week, but I didn't really give it much thought until I happened upon it today. By the time I met up with it, it had already been moved several blocks from its original location on the corner of Linden and Otis on the Whitman College Campus.
This house was one of 12 houses offered for sale by Whitman College to make room for a new sophomore resident dorm and dining hall. The cost of each house was $1, with the new owner taking full responsibility for hiring a professional mover to relocate the structure.
In the photo above, the man in the bucket has just stopped the move and called for someone to raise a wire that was in the way.
At the ready was this worker who arrived with an expandable orange pole which he lengthened, and lengthened, and lengthened until he could lift the wire way overhead. Quite impressive!
A look underneath the trailer shows the massive steel beams on which the house sits along with the drive train and turning mechanism that allows the long trailer to make turns such as this.
The house appears to be in great condition and will make the new owner a nice home in its new location, somewhere up Mill Creek Road.
Having made the right turn onto Park street, the house on wheels heads for Highway 12.
This photo taken last spring by Greg Lehman for the Walla Walla Union Bulletin shows the house in its original location.
WOW.....have watched shows on TV many times about moving homes, but to see one in real life...what an experience. What a great house for $1.......I can't wait to see the "finished product" ...... I suspect that will be a few weeks, even months in the future. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that the fire place was boarded up and that I am wondering if they will replace the fireplace with something else or did they save the bricks....to re build. Since it's painted black in the "before" photo I cannot tell what it's made of, but I would guess brick, stone of some sort. How fun to see this. I hope you will go to the new home and show us the progress of it's restoration.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great event to witness. I remember seeing an old house being moved when I was a kid. I use to walk by it every morning on the way to school. Once it was moved it was weird walking by where it use to be. They moved it to the outskirts of town.
ReplyDeleteThat takes great care!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they can raise the house onto the trailer
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