The Wilkins moves

The Wilkins House hangs a right onto Mills Avenue after exiting the parking lot it squeezed through en route to its new location.
The Wilkins House hangs a right onto Mills Avenue after exiting the parking lot it squeezed through en route to its new location.

Today’s the day.

The 800-ton Wilkins house, last seen here, began its excruciatingly slow crawl from Augusta Street to Mills Avenue early this morning as crews bustled ahead of it, building temporary dirt ramps across curbs and other topographical irregularities, lowering and temporarily (alas) burying power lines, and paring back the occasional tree limb. Videographer Jeter Rhodes was there documenting the event, just as he’s been doing throughout the project’s long haul from fundraising to fruition.

An embankment has been prepared at the corner of Mills and Elm where the house will be placed and will remain for a week while a 9-foot-tall foundation is built to receive it. Then, according to Jeter, it will be cantilevered from the embankment to the foundation.

800 tons, ya’ll. Eight. Hundred. Tons.