Houses Being Moved To Make Way For More Church Parking Space

Six pastel-colored bungalows - sentinels on West Shannon Avenue for 80 years - are being moved to new locations.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought the houses and is having them moved to make room for a bigger parking lot.

“Most of the houses are in pretty rough shape, but a couple are pretty good,” said Wes Lewis, preventative maintenance supervisor for the church. Most of the houses were being rented, Lewis added.

A&A House Moving expects to begin moving the first houses Friday. Then, they’ll move about one a week for a month. Most of the houses will remain in the neighborhood.

Paul Breithaupt, owner of A&A House Moving, said he plans to keep the pink house at 719 W. Shannon, perhaps using it as a gift shop.

They’re moving it to a lot near Sharp and Howard.

“It’s beautiful inside,” said his wife, Patricia Breithaupt. “There is leaded glass, a beautiful open staircase and original trim. It was built in 1901 and has that ambience that you just can’t buy.

“It will take me a few years to get it ready, but it will be great,” she added. “It will look like a house, but be a gift shop.”

Two of the houses will be demolished. A large white house on the corner, 703 W. Shannon, will remain. The owner decided not to sell. The two-story, three-bedroom home was bought in 1974 by the Hip Sing Association, a Chinese benevolent group.

The parking lot is expected to be paved this summer.

“We’ve needed parking for a long, long time there,” said Lewis. “We are extremely short of space.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo