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A house moves by remote control along a route toward its new destination at 310 W. South St., Coldwater, on Wednesday morning.
COLDWATER - A two-story home originally slated for demolition was relocated a few blocks to another site on Wednesday morning during a coordinated operation involving a seasoned moving company, line crews, businesses and neighbors.
The roughly two-hour ordeal was at times nerve-racking but ultimately thrilling for Kyle Dues, who purchased the home at 115 W. Walnut St. to save it from the wrecking ball.
Onlookers came out to watch as the home resting atop a series of remote-controlled hydraulic-powered dollies lumbered along a preplanned route of streets to its new site at 310 W. South St.
Dues said moving the house went about as well as it could have, given the amount of challenges and risks involved.
"It was a huge undertaking, just logistically, to line everything up," he said. "And the neighborhood was absolutely fantastic. (I'm) just extremely thankful to everybody. I didn't get any complaints."
The local Fraternal Order of Eagles bought the adjacent property at 115 W. Walnut St. about five months ago to expand its parking lot, according to Dues, a former Coldwater police officer who owns a property management company.
Dues knew former occupants had fond memories of the "beautiful home."
"The more I heard people talk about it, it's just kind of a shame to see a good house torn down," he said.
The first time he walked through the structure, he was particularly taken by the second story stairway leading up to the attic, appearing just like the one in the movie "Home Alone."
"It's like every kid's dream come true, you know? That was the first thing that came to my mind when I went through it," he recalled. "And it's just a well-built home. The thing's a fortress."
Remote-control operator Andrew Heck navigates a house-on-wheels down streets and around a corner.
After acquiring the house itself from the Eagles, Dues set his sights on finding a plot of land to put it on.
Dues said he couldn't go past State Route 118 "because it's an absolute power-line nightmare" or the railroad tracks because of the crossing signs.
He ended up finding a vacant lot just a few blocks southwest from the home, owned by Kathy Feltz, who agreed to sell it to him.
Next, Dues brought in Wolfe House & Building Movers, which works throughout the country.
"These people move like hotels and stuff, I mean, giant structures. This was probably literally like moving a doghouse," he said.
He also charted a moving route and spent countless hours on the phone trying to arrange for power and telecommunication companies to show up at the same time to move lines.
The moving company arrived at about 8:30 a.m. Monday and immediately got down to business. Personnel knocked out pockets in the foundation to install steel beams and supporting cribbing, Dues said.
"Once they got those beams all into place, they've got a hydraulic system that they're able to jack that house straight up," he said. "They get it high enough to where … they were able to roll their dollies under there and they set them on their dollies and that's what actually drove the house."
At 7:58 a.m. Wednesday, the movers returned to begin transporting the house. So too did line crews, who either had to cut and later reattach or lift up the assorted power and telcom lines to allow the dolly-driven house to proceed at walking speed.
Remote-control operator Andrew Heck was responsible for navigating the house-on-wheels down streets and around corners.
"It was tight. I mean, if that house would have been a foot wider, I don't think we would have got it done. So we were able to get it through the route," Dues said. "There were a few spots where … he had only 2 to 3 inches of room, and he was able to thread that house right down that path."
Heck said he's been moving buildings for nearly two decades.
"We do quite a few houses about this size, some a lot smaller, some a lot bigger," he noted. "You can't go 10 miles with a house like this unless you're way out in the country (where) there's no power lines. This kind of setup is not made for going long distance because they don't go real fast."
It took about two hours to relocate the home just a few blocks to 310 W. South St.
Prior to the house taking off for its short yet laborious trek, Becky and Ron Wenning toured the inside, perhaps for the last time. Becky Wenning retired from Coldwater Elementary School in 2012 after teaching for 32 years.
Then known as Becky Woolwine, she moved to the home at 115 W. Walnut St. in 1968 when she was a junior in high school.
"We originally moved from Wheaton, Illinois, and we lived down on the other end of South Street for about six months until the house came on the market, because we were renting and there were no houses for sale," she said.
She remembered family members from near and far coming to the house for holidays and graduations. She began dating Ron Wenning in high school. After he returned from the service and she graduated from college, Ron proposed to Becky in the house.
On Wednesday morning, he pointed out the precise spot where he popped the big question to Becky, Dues said.
Becky's mother, Betty Woolwine, lived in the home up until a few years ago when the upkeep and steps became burdensome.
"She was still doing all the yard work, and she kept that yard immaculate, down to trimming the bushes, edging. She would spend two days taking care of that yard," she said of her mother.
Becky brought her mother to the site on Wednesday morning, as well.
"At 93 she just was amazed that they could pick up the house and move it," she said. "She watched the whole thing going down the street. She was just tickled that it wasn't torn down."
Becky said it was joyful experience.
"The house has been so special to us and Kyle is moving it and remodeling and fixing it, and some other happy family will live in there and have memories just like we do," she said.
Dues was also gracious enough to give the family various items from the house, including bricks from the fireplace and the mantle, Becky said.
"We remember putting our stockings up, how Mom would decorate that mantle," she said.
Dues now plans to spend the next few months giving the home an overhaul, including a new roof, plumbing and HVAC, and adding a two-car garage and a master suite before selling it.
Next week, a concrete crew will come in to put down a foundation. Then the house will be lowered for good, Dues said.
