Landmark needs extreme makeover

The Old Patrick House on the Midway is getting a new roof.

The house dates from 1852-53, making it the oldest in Chico, and the Chico Heritage Association wants to protect it from winter rains. Last winter the roof, which is in poor shape, was tarped, but as local preservationist John Gallardo puts it, “the material is shredding into nothingness.”

CHA President Lucy Sperlin says having the roof off has allowed the group to see the house’s framework better. “We’re getting a lot of clues about how the house was built,” she said.

The new roof will be composition tile, a historically inaccurate but less expensive stop-gap measure pending a decision on whether and when the house will be moved to a new site at the Patrick Ranch to the south. The current owners of the home, the Brusie family, want eventually to use the land to expand their adjacent Glen Oaks Memorial Park cemetery, but state historic preservation officer Wayne Donaldson believes it should stay put.

The bill for the roof, $13,000, is due in 30 days, Gallardo said, and CHA doesn’t have sufficient money to pay it. Tax-deductible donations can be made to CHA directly at P.O. Box 3517, Chico, CA 95927, or through Annie B’s Community Drive at www.nvcf.org.