VERNON – It was a deal that sounded too good to be true, a five-bedroom Vernon house was up for sale for just $1. But there were some catches–the home needed upgrades and the buyer would have to move the building to a new location. It seems that was a project no one was willing to take on and now the 123-year-old former rectory has been demolished.
“It was sad to see it go,” admits Jane Bourcet, associate priest at All Saints Anglican Church. “I actually got dressed for my wedding in the rectory and then walked over to the church to be married.”
While she may miss the building, Bourcet knows there were practical reason for its demise. The church had rented out the former rectory but the building needed costly renovations.
“Even when we tried to rent the house there wasn’t anybody that was interested in it, so we came up with the idea to sell the house for a dollar if the person was willing to move it,” says Bourcet.
The church hoped the $1 deal would attract someone able to give the house a future, but it seems the added expenses proved too much for any potential buyers. Some pegged the cost of moving the home at as much as $100,000. In the end, the house, which was built in 1892, was torn down.
The house was first built for a local lawyer. The property changed hands a few times and was even used as a school. It was bought by the Anglican Church in 1912.
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