Augdon House moves down Main Street

Utilities had to be turned off, and a section of road was closed to traffic.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- After 155 years in the same place, the Augdon House has a new address.
Crews worked for several hours Thursday evening to move the house, built in 1850, a few blocks down Main Street.
The owners, who declined to comment, plan to build structures on either side of the historic house to create a new home, said Dick Ames, village zoning inspector.
The two-story, Greek-revival house was moved from Main and Green Meadow Acres Place down the street to its new address at 445 S. Main St.
Some utilities had to be turned off, and traffic was closed on South Main Street between U.S. 224 and Nesbitt Street.
But people were understanding, Ames said, adding that many came out to watch the action.
"It was like a big party," he said. "It was like Memorial Day out there."
Planning stage
For months last fall, village officials, members of the Poland Preservation Society and a citizens group discussed the possibility of moving the home or having it meet a wrecking ball.
A developer who bought the property talked of demolishing the historic building to clear the land for condominiums.
Council and society members considered moving the house to village-owned property near village hall. That idea was abandoned because some council members worried about a lack of a plan for the upkeep of the home.
Some parts of the house, including an attached garage and part of the living quarters that weren't part of the original structure, were demolished months ago.
The new owners bought the house for a nominal amount with plans to move it to the new site, Ames said.