BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Boynton Beach City Commissioners are eyeing the preservation of The Andrews House, one of the oldest structures in the city, following public outcry as it was scheduled to be demolished by a developer last week.
The house was built in 1907, according to the Boynton Beach Historical Society. It belonged to Charlie Lee Andrews, who served in the Confederate Army, and his wife, Katie Andrews.
“This one of the last (historic) homes in Boynton Beach,” stated resident Steve Anton. “There’s three left; this is one of the last ones. We lose this heritage; we lose the ground we grew up in.”
When word got out that the site was set to be demolished last Friday, residents rallied and contacted the city.
"They got ahold of the developer and said can we put it on hold, and the developer was gracious enough to say yes,” shared Anton.
Boynton Beach city commissioners are looking into preserving the Andrews House — the oldest home in the city. Commissioners put a hold on its demolition plans and want to relocate the property. pic.twitter.com/A8eJRjQITk
— Zitlali Solache (@zitlalisolache) December 5, 2024
During Tuesday’s Boynton Beach City commission meeting, the board directed staff to look into costs of moving the house to another location possibly next to the Oscar Magnuson home.
For many residents, it’s a positive move.
“They’ve stepped up into the issue, they provided positive responses, and it looks like it can be saved," Anton said.
If relocated, commissioners are exploring the re-use of property as a possible store, cafe or museum.
“(The Community Redevelopment Agency) can jump in only if there’s an adaptive resume of the property,” Mayor Ty Penserga said. “We’re not just moving it to move it, we’re moving it because we’re transforming it to a potential economic engine.”
The city sent a statement saying:
“At the December 3rd Boynton Beach City Commission meeting, the commission expressed its desire to save the historic Andrews House from demolition and directed staff to explore options and costs associated with moving the Andrews House. There is a lot to consider when moving a historic building. In addition to the logistical issues and the funding, which will be a combination of city funds and those potentially raised by the Boynton Beach Historical Society, we will be working with the Historical Society to ultimately find the perfect location for the Andrews House. The developer has agreed to delay demolition of the property temporarily while we research our options.”
- Andrew Mack, Deputy City Manager
City staff said they expect to receive relocation proposals by late January.
