Historic 140-year-old house demolished in old town Murrieta – Press Enterprise

At nearly 140 years old, the Lakeman House in the old town of Murrieta was a relic of the region diverse history.

But after Murrieta City Council approved a demolition permit a year ago, the historic home on the corner of Juniper St. and Washington Ave., next to Ray’s Café, was torn down Tuesday morning, July 26. .

Jeffery Harmon, president of the Murrieta Valley Historical Society, said the decision to demolish the property – which would be the second oldest house in town – was not taken lightly. Restoration estimates were around $1–2 million.

“The owners sought out investors to help restore the home, but were unable to secure the financing,” Harmon wrote this week. on Facebook. “I had to decide if I should fight and raise money to protect the house, or raise money to build the Murrieta Museum. I believe that building the museum would have a greater impact and benefit to the community than the preservation of the house.

  • The historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta, built in 1885 for a Civil War veteran, is being demolished by So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas on Tuesday morning July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, collaborating photographer)

  • The historic Lakeman House in the old town of Murrieta, built in...

    The historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta, built in 1885 for a Civil War veteran, is being demolished by So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas on Tuesday morning July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, collaborating photographer)

  • The historic Lakeman House in the old town of Murrieta, built in...

    The historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta, built in 1885 for a Civil War veteran, is being demolished by So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas on Tuesday morning July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, collaborating photographer)

  • The historic Lakeman House in the old town of Murrieta, built in...

    The historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta, built in 1885 for a Civil War veteran, is being demolished by So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas on Tuesday morning July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, collaborating photographer)

  • The historic Lakeman House in the old town of Murrieta, built in...

    The historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta, built in 1885 for a Civil War veteran, is being demolished by So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas on Tuesday morning July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, collaborating photographer)

  • So Cal Sandbags operator Don Juan Casas sprinkles the...

    Don Juan Casas, operator of So Cal Sandbags, hoses down the historic Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta ahead of its demolition on Tuesday morning, July 26, 2022. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

Operators from construction company So Cal Sandbags arrived early Tuesday to dismantle the aging structure.

The Lakeman House was first marked by the city in 2016, according to a report. The land was purchased in 2017, when rare artifacts inside the house were collected and donated to the Murrieta Museum.

The current owners – a group of investors who bought the land several years ago – said they wanted to renovate it into an outdoor restaurant, community theater and entertainment experience “…with the potential to recreate the facade of Lakeman House,” said Casey Jurado, one of the owners with Downtown Murrieta 395: Association of traders and owners.

The group is working on permits, as well as fundraising, with the help of the city and Murrieta Arts Council. The space would be called “Ray’s 395 Café”.

Some have called the Lakeman House Murrieta’s “beloved landmark,a 31-year-old city gem.

The house was built in 1885 for Abram Burnett – a Civil War veteran – as a “kit house” from the Sears catalog delivered by train. one of the two historic residences in Old Town, according to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society.

In 1903, the land was sold to German immigrants Earnest and Mary Lakeman for $1,000. The Lakemans grew crops on the property and opened a fruit stand and candy store, which later turned into the Lakeman Lunch Room, a stop along former U.S. Highway 395 for travelers heading to San Diego, according to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society.

Years later, the property was sold to Ray and Joanne Bezanson in 1953, who renamed the dining room Ray’s Murrieta Café. The restaurant continued to serve customers until it closed in 2006.

In 2017, the last occupants of the house, brothers Gilbert and Muriel Bezanson, left the condemned house. Volunteers from the Murrieta Valley Historical Society have collected thousands of artifacts from the site, ranging from old photographs and musical instruments to an original town act. The collection enabled the opening of the Murrieta Museum in 2019.

  • The 1886 Lakeman House, once occupied by early German immigrants,...

    The 1886 Lakeman House, once occupied by early German immigrants, right, was seen at the corner of Juniper St. and Washington Ave. on Friday, July 23, 2021. The house was demolished almost a year later on July 26, 2022. A group of investors who bought the land several years ago planned to renovate it into a space for catering and of entertainment that will pay homage to the roots of the structure. Ray’s Murrieta Cafe, left, will not be demolished. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • Casey Jurado, owner of the 136-year-old Lakeman House, visits the media...

    Lakeman House owner Casey Jurado, 136, tours the media through the Sears kit house in Old Town Murrieta on Friday, July 23, 2021. The four-bedroom, one-bathroom, outbuilding home was formerly on the property next door to Ray’s Murrieta Cafe, and has been demolished. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

  • The 1886 Lakeman House, a neglected Victorian farmhouse, in Old Town...

    The 1886 Lakeman House, a neglected Victorian-era farmhouse, in Murrieta’s Old Town, is seen Friday, July 23, 2021. The four-bedroom, one-bathroom, outbuilding home was on the property next door of Ray’s Murrieta cafe, on the left. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Harmon said he and his children helped clean up the property, which he called a “time capsule,” uncovering artifacts dating back to the 1880s.

“The Lakeman House was a reminder of a bygone era,” Harmon said via email. “I was able to share my passion for historic preservation and transmit this feeling of belonging to the protection of its history to my children. They were able to learn so much about the city in which they grew up. Every morning, I drove them to school and we walked past the Lakeman House (and) shared our memories of our time on the property.

Community members have mixed feelings about the demolition, with many writing on Facebook that they were sad to see the house disappear.

“I loved this monument. Probably tear it down to make way for a new Starbucks or some other useless store. So sad to hear they took it down,” Nessa Escobar wrote on Facebook.

“As a historian, it breaks my heart to see him go,” Shelby Reno wrote. “It is very unfortunate that it has been abandoned by the property, but when the structures become unsafe and it would be next to impossible to keep them in their original state, the only choice is demolition. Hopefully that the materials of the demo can be recovered, reused and preserved.

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