Want A Free 19th-Century Mansion in Wheaton? It’s Yours if You Can Move It

The fate of a 120-year-old Wheaton mansion is in jeopardy as developers plan to demolish it, but someone can have it for free — if they’re able to relocate it.

Pulte Homes has offered to donate the 19th-century mansion to anyone who can haul it away. If not, the mansion will be razed to make way for single family homes. Preservationists have been unsuccessful in their attempts to save the mansion, called the House of Seven Gables, thus far.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Nancy Flannery, the acting Wheaton Historic Commission Chairwoman, even posted an ad on Craigslist to find someone who would accept the free mansion and commit to relocating it. So far, Flannery has received more than 40 responses.

If no one comes forward to claim the mansion before April 4 when plans are up for a vote, Pulte Developers will demolish the House of Seven Gables and replace the 15.7-acre Loretto Convent with 48 single family homes.

Wheaton officials hope that someone will come forward to preserve the mansion before developments of the proposed subdivision proceeds. If you’re in the market for a free brick mansion and have access to the means to move the property, you could be saving one of Wheaton’s beloved historic treasures.

>>More via Chicago Tribune

Image via craigslist.com