A historic house is on shaky ground after the Kern County Museum decided not to accept it. The owner of the house and the group trying to save it are looking for other options, hoping to avoid demolition.
The museum announced it could not accept the Jastro House because it's too expensive to restore. However, the owner and others hope someone will save the landmark.
"We are determined to save this house one way or another," said Glenda Rankin, founder of the new non-profit Citizens Preserving History, that is dedicated to saving the Jastro House.
Rankin knows to the naked eye it looks like a condemned home, but to her it's the former home of Henry Jastro, a Kern County founding father.
"I would love to see a charity or maybe even a person in the community come forth and say they'll take the house," said Bill Alexander, owner of the Jastro House.
Alexander bought the house in 2009 hoping to restore it himself. Afterwards, he realized that would cost too much so he decided to donate it.
"I thought it would be more readily accepted by one or more charitable organizations," said Alexander.
The Kern County Museum was his first choice, but the Board of Directors there declined.
"We have an issue of taking on another building to maintain when really we need to focus on the buildings we have right now," said Bob LeRude, chairman of the Kern County Museum Foundation.
A group offered to pay to move the home, but the museum said they still couldn't afford to restore it.
"If we were in a perfect world and we had great funding then we wouldn't have that problem, but we really have to watch what we spend and use the money and take care of the existing facilities," said LeRude.
However, groups hoping to save the home are not giving up. Some hope the city of Bakersfield will restore the house. Others are hoping for a private donor.
"An individual can come in and through working with us as a non-profit, they can start a business, a bed and breakfast, or a realty or whatever," said Rankin.
Demolition is a last resort, but if someone doesn't step up the owner said it's a very real option.
"I would rather see the house move somewhere restored and rehabilitated rather than having the house torn down," said Alexander.