Politics
Parade follows 139-year-old San Francisco Victorian home as it’s moved by a truck seven blocks to its new location
AN historic San Francisco Victorian home has changed its address for the first time in 139 years.
Early this morning, the green-colored house with large windows and a brown front door hit the road.
Crowds watched on when the house moved home[/caption]
A worker signals to a truck driver pulling a Victorian home through San Francisco[/caption]
The house, built in 1882, was moved to a new location about six blocks away[/caption]
lurched out across five lanes of the city’s Franklin Street as it began its journey.
Meanwhile, some 600 onlookers witnessed the bizarre spectacle of the house being loaded onto giant dollies and then moved to a location six blocks away.
The structure was then rolled at a top speed of 1mph to 635 Fulton Street.
Fiona McDougall, a member of the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco,
At one point the crew had to untangle the corner of the house from the light pole as the house just made the turn and headed downhill along Franklin Street.
Along the route, parking meters were ripped up, tree limbs were trimmed and traffic signs were relocated.
The house’s journey has been in the planning stages for years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Veteran house mover Phil Joy told the newspaper he had to secure permits from more than 15 city agencies.
According to the consultant overseeing the project, the move cost approximately $200,000 and involved removing street lights, parking meters, and utility lines[/caption]
The moving crew jog behind he Victorian home as a truck pulls it through San Francisco[/caption]
A worker signals to a truck driver as the delicate operation takes place[/caption]
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Fiona McDougall, a member of the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco, told the Chronicle.
She said: “These houses are part of the fabric of San Francisco.
“It’s important to preserve them rather than replacing them with a bunch of cold boxes.”
Tim Brown, a San Francisco broker and the owner of the Victorian, paid about $400,000 to move the house.
The site at 807 Franklin St. is to become a 48-unit, eight-story apartment building, while the transported Victorian will be anchored at 635 Fulton St. and converted to seven residential units.
