Race on (again) to save Pine Castle home

The story of the Crawford House in Belle Isle is a sad little tale that is about to come to an end, one way or another.

It will take a minor miracle to pull off a happy ending.

The clock is ticking toward December, when the city of Belle Isle plans to demolish the 105-year-old home to make way for a charter school playground.

If we were talking about Winter Park instead of Belle Isle then I'd sit back and watch the big checks start rolling in to save the historic home.

Winter Park preservationists have swooped in to rescue two homes in the last 14 years from destruction.

The community raised more than $1 million to move and restore Casa Feliz in 2001, and last year $650,000 was collected to move and begin restoration on the Capen House.

It's far from certain that the Crawford House will get that kind of love.

Belle Isle's population of 6,500 is about a quarter of the size of Winter Park's.

That means fewer deep pockets to pay for moving and restoring the home in a new location.

The good news is that, at just 1,500 square feet, the Crawford House is dwarfed in size by the two Winter Park mansions and likely would need less money.

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Race on (again) to save Pine Castle home