Crestview home finds new life in Del Valle

When the demolition of 1208 Stobaugh St. came before the Historic Landmark Commission in November, it seemed to strike a nerve with Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky, who – faced with an agenda full of demolitions – urged the city to “stop throwing perfectly good houses in our landfills.”

Although the demolitions haven’t slowed over the past two months, the Austin Monitor can report that the house that may have served as one flashpoint for preservation angst was not, in fact, demolished.

Instead, it has been moved to Del Valle, where Corina Fulp is in the process of restoring the 1947 home. Though Sadowsky couldn’t recommend individual historic designation for the house, he called it “lovely.”

Fulp agreed. In an email to the Monitor, she explained that it was her first home restoration and that she had just started the process of “restoring (the house) to her former glory” after seeing an ad on Craigslist and securing a structural mover.

“It wasn’t until I saw the inside that I fell in love. Original hardwood floors, original glass door knobs, original windows with counter weights and even an original 1940s gas stove in great condition. I knew someone had put a lot of time and effort in keeping this house in such good condition for 70+ years so I had to try and give her another chance,” wrote Fulp.

Jeff Egger, president of Casa Rio Builders, told the Monitor that his company is in the process of building a duplex at 1208 Stobaugh St. He explained that his company tries to relocate homes whenever possible.

“There’s a lot of them that can be moved,” said Egger. “Some can’t, because they are just too big or added onto so many times. But this house was a good candidate for it.”