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MICHELLE JONESPreservationists join forces to do for other old buildings what they couldn't pull off for the Galvin house.
BRANDON - Even if the fight to save the Galvin-Jaudon house is lost, it will leave a lasting impact on the community.
Preservationists mobilized last week and formed the Brandon Historical Association, with a mission to protect community resources with special historical significance.
First on their agenda: the Galvin-Jaudon house at 201 Victoria St.
The group faced a major setback Monday when the county's Historic Resources Review Board reaffirmed its year-old decision to not recommend the 113-year-old house for historic landmark status.
First Baptist Church, which has owned the property since July 2002, is now free to do what it wants with the structure. The church wants the house moved or demolished to make room for a parking lot or new building to serve its growing 4,500-member congregation.
Members of the Brandon Historical Association want the house kept on the property purchased by Daniel Galvin, who came to Brandon from Ireland during the potato famine in the mid 1800s. They'd like to see it become a museum.
Five members of the association spoke in support of saving the house.
Architect Grant Rimbey said the hall and parlor of the house haven't changed since colonial times. It is considered a prerailroad type house.
"This house is architecturally significant to the history of Brandon," he said at the Monday meeting. "It is a dominant folk house."
"This is indeed a community asset and must not be tossed out as last week's garbage," association member Gordon Commee told the board.
Another speaker argued that the community was not given enough notice about the house before it was brushed off by the board and sold to the church.
The church argued that it would not have bought the property had it been declared a landmark.
Church administrators have said they would be happy to see the house moved and restored. Several individuals have come forward and said they would like to do just that.
"We appreciate the good faith of those who wish to restore items of historic value," said Jeffrey Warren, a lawyer and a member of First Baptist Church.
"But the minutes (of the May 2002 Historic Resources Review Board meeting) reflect that this board made a final decision, and the church remains steadfast that property is needed for the church's future."
He said the church would not consider selling the property, purchased for $150,000 in July 2002.
The church owns 15 parcels of land in the same unincorporated area, according to Hillsborough County property appraiser records.
Lisa Rodriguez, a Brandon history buff and secretary of the association, said she was devastated by the board's decision.
"But we are not giving up," she said.
On Wednesday, after hearing comments from four people during open discussion at the Hillsborough County Commission, Commissioner Pat Frank asked the county staff to take another look at the house.
"I am still troubled by the Galvin house issue," Frank said. "I wrote a memo to the board (Historic Resources Review Board) to have a meeting in the Brandon area and received no response."
Frank wants the staff to see if moving the house will eliminate its eligibility for landmark status and to see why the land is so vital to the church, as it isn't even close to the church. She wants the report by the July 16 meeting.
At one time, the Galvin house was a showcase. Situated on the corner of Victoria Street and Oak Avenue, it was at the center of Brandon's downtown district. It was used as a post office, a grocery store and the home of the Galvins and later the Jaudons. The dilapidated, two-story wood house has been empty for many years.
Historical association member Mike Carducci said the group's goals go beyond one house. He wants the association to prompt the county to speed up the rate at which historic landmarks are designated. Only 18 out of 280 eligible structures have received the designation in the last 10 years, Carducci said.
- Michelle Jones can be reached at jones@sptimes.com or 661-2431.