Clear Space hands over keys to historic bungalow

Clear Space Theatre Company representatives have officially turned over the keys of the historic beach bungalow at 413 Rehoboth Ave. to new owner Tom Kelly.

During a brief ceremony March 9, Donna West, Clear Space board of directors vice chair, presented Kelly with the keys. Wesley Paulson, Clear Space executive director, presented Kelly with a new Rehoboth Beach Main Street Cottage and Town Award medallion from 2005. The original medallion was taken off the house in April.

Kelly held up his end of the bargain by giving Paulson $1 in cash for the house.

The cottage sits on one of three adjoining lots – 413, 415 and 417 Rehoboth Ave. – owned by Clear Space, which wants the lots cleared to in order to build a new home. The theater gave the house away as part of the process associated with getting a $4.8 million community facilities loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The house at 413 Rehoboth Ave. was designated as a rare surviving example of a beach bungalow, which meant Clear Space was required to try to preserve the structure. A house at 415 Rehoboth Ave. did not receive the same designation, and it was demolished in May. The lot at 417 Rehoboth Ave. has been empty for years.

Kelly will be moving the house across town to an empty lot off Lincoln Street. He has hired East Coast Structural Movers for the job.

John Davidson, East Coast Structural Movers owner, was on site helping to get the moving process started. He said he hopes to move the house in the next week or so.

To clear power lines between Rehoboth Avenue and Lincoln Street, the roof of the second floor will have to be cut off. Davidson said that will require the house to first be moved onto the empty lots at 415 and 417 Rehoboth Ave., so the large pine tree next to the bungalow isn’t damaged during the roof removal.