Capen House halves connected

Both pieces of the historic Capen House were reunited on their new foundation last week on the grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden – more than four months after they were split apart to travel across Lake Osceola.

The placement of the house brings the project one step closer to completion since the Winter Park community first stepped up to save the house from demolition last June.

“It was an amazing process,” said Christine French, Preservation Capen project director. “To see those two pieces together for the first time was unbelievable.”

But much work still remains to be done, French said. The project now enters a restoration phase, where the two pieces will be mended together along with minor repairs.

Workers are also still completing the foundation beneath one side of the house.

A sign in front of the museum shows that fundraisers have gathered $587,000 of the $650,000 needed to finish the relocation effort, leaving a gap that still need to raised.

“We still have a way to go,” French said. “We definitely want to hit that 650 and we’d like to do that over the summer.”

“There’s plenty of time for people to contribute to the project.”

French said residents can expect a grand opening of the Capen House some point in November.

She said the project coordinators will also attempt to raise additional funds beyond the $650,000 for new landscaping to better integrate the Capen House with the Polasek Museum.