This historic house is free — but comes with a huge catch

A 174-year-old home in Ohio is on the market — for $0.

The Hudson Heritage Association is trying to offload the Oviatt-Curtiss homestead in Hudson, Ohio —about 40 minutes south of Cleveland — to save it from being demolished.

The new owners won’t have to pay a penny to purchase the 1846-built property, but they will have to foot the bill for moving it to a new location and also promise to preserve it.

Prospective owners would have to lift the entire 2,000-square-foot home, put it on a trailer, and haul it to another plot of land, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Don’t have the acreage for it? Purchase one, and hook up some utilities.

The final price tag of such a move could be anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000, depending on the work required, Hudson Heritage Association President Chris Bach told the paper.

Considering the home last sold for $270,000, per Realtor.com, it’s a steal.

Plus, the four-bedroom, one-bathroom property is in great shape. The interiors feature the original windows, a walnut staircase and wood flooring. A terracotta silo and several other historic outbuildings are also included if you want them (and can move them, too).

The new owners would also get the privilege of carrying on an important legacy, as only three families have owned the farmhouse over nearly two centuries.

If no one steps up to buy and relocate the Oviatt-Curtiss homestead, all of the structures on the 5-acre property will be demolished. A couple who purchased both the house and the land it sits on for $270,000 in February has already received approval “to demolish all the historic structures, divide the 5-acre lot into two equal parcels and build two new homes — one for resale and the other for themselves,” read the association’s Feb. 10 Facebook post.

“The house is in excellent condition and is ready for a glorious renovation in a new location,” Bach said in a statement. “There is a centuries-old tradition in Hudson of moving homes to new locations. It would be wonderful if an owner stepped forward to save this remarkable, historic structure and give it renewed life in a new location. Demolishing this house would be a tragedy.”

The association hopes the farmhouse can stay in the same town, but that’s would not be required for the $0 sale.

“What’s most important is that we save this structure and its history,” Bach said.

Email the Hudson Heritage Association for more information.

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