Movers lugged a historic house across a Boyle Heights street on Thursday morning, slowly rolling the gray-blue structure before a crowd of onlookers.
On the Peabody Werden House's former lot, the non-profit East LA Community Corporation plans to build the Cielito Lindo Apartments, a mixed-use building with 50 affordable housing units.
Built in 1895, the Peabody Werden House will now function as a site for community programing. It is being preserved near the corner of East 1st and North Soto streets. A section of 1st Street was closed to make room for its move.
"It is fascinating to see how a home is lifted and moved right across the street," ELACC President Isela Gracian said. "We're here with community residents who were part of making this project a reality."
The new units in the Cielito Lindo development will range from $450 to $1,100 in rent, the LA Times reported.
LA historian Kim Cooper said it's rare to see old houses in Boyle Heights that haven't been lost or stuccoed over. When she found out the Peabody Werden building was set to be demolished, she and others shared photos of it online, and reached out to ELACC about saving it.
Amelia Paz, a Boyle Heights resident, described the move as bittersweet to watch. She said she's glad to see the old house saved, but thinks of this transition as a signal of change for Boyle Heights, a battleground against gentrification. She's seen a nearby district go from practically empty to booming, with prices rising and the neighborhood's new popularity maxing out.
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"The house has been there for a really long time, and I know it's going to be restored. But it's the beginning of a new era," Paz said. "I hope we're all included in that era. But it's uncertain, you know. It really is uncertain."
