When residents of St. Paul’s West Seventh neighborhood found out about the impending demolition of a neglected, one-story, less-than-800-square-foot house, they rushed to save it. Why? The house at 412 Goodrich Avenue was built in 1856 and is one of the oldest standing structures in the area.

A carpenter built the structure, also called the John Lewis House, before Minnesota’s statehood. Citing neglect and disrepair, the city planned to destroy the house this summer.

Members of the Little Bohemia Neighborhood Association learned of the city’s plans and soon began advocating for its preservation.

“It would be down right now had neighbors not stepped in,” said Carol Carey, executive director for Historic Saint Paul, which partnered with the neighborhood association to save the house.

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Choo Choo Bob’s in St. Paul chugs to a permanent close Earlier this fall, Carey said members of the two groups met with the city, who said they would not act on the matter until March. For now, advocates created a redevelopment plan for the building and are working to raise money to restore the structure. She said residents have donated materials and volunteers are being coordinated to start work on the house.

Tom Brock, a member of both groups, said the owner of the home had not taken care of it and it had become a Vacant Category 3 building, meaning significant improvements had to be made or else it would be demolished.

The owner is in negotiations with Historic St. Paul to donate the building, Brock said, and a rehabilitation plan is being developed. Fixing up old, neglected homes is a tricky process, he added. The amount of money needed to make improvements is much more than the amount a small house will be sold for.

In this case, $45,000 is needed to complete the rehab process, Carey said.

“Someone needs to cover that gap,” Brock said. “Oftentimes it’s the city, other times it’s private foundations and other investors that are willing to make that contribution. (Historic St. Paul) does not have the resources to cover that gap.”

As a result, the two groups will host an event on Nov. 5 at Bad Weather Brewing Company called “Save 412 Goodrich.” The event, set for 3 to 6 p.m., aims to raise awareness and cash for the project. A Facebook page with the same name was created to update community members on the house and has 63 members.

“These really early houses just have a certain character. It’s really fun to bring them back and have them as role models in the city for people to take notice of,” said John Yust, local architect and longtime resident of the West Seventh neighborhood. “It has a great feel about it. … We could have easily lost it.”

Yust often works with buildings built in the same era as the 412 Goodrich house and appreciates their details and craftsmanship. He said he also believes that small houses are becoming more popular, as they are easily maintained and are more affordable for aspiring homeowners.

“There is really a renewed interest in historic properties in our neighborhood. We have one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city,” Yust said. “It’s just fun to see these little buildings be … valued. I think they are really interesting.”