Save This Old c.1866 New York Fixer Upper Mansion For Sale $10K – The OZ House

OHU50K Notes $10,000

This old New York fixer upper mansion for sale needs a savior. The 10 bedroom, two bath brick Italianate is known as the Foster-Hubbard House and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It is a mess and is indicative of the state of historic preservation in this country. Several government agencies had their headquarters in this home in the 1970s, yet it they let in fall into this condition? It is also known as the OZ House, due to a once-thought affiliation with L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wizard of Oz.”

 

 

Realtor Comments

Locally protected historic mansion last used as office space. Zoned MX1 which allows residential and commercial. Buyer must provide itemized scope of work for renovation with proof of funds to complete project. Structure has water damage, expect $500k-$1M reno depending on use. Will require architect floor plans for Change of Occupancy w/City of Syr. $150k bank statement required to schedule showing. Qualifies for DRI Facade Improvement Program. May require community outreach depending on proposal. Property needs work and being sold as-is without warranty or representations. Property Purchase Application, Contract to Purchase are available on our website. Completed offers should be submitted no later than the first Tuesday of each month for consideration at the Board of Directors Meeting, normally scheduled on the third Tuesday of each month. Please confirm dates and times. Renovation costs can exceed 500K. Proof of funds needed for combined purchase and renovation costs.

• 10bed
• 2bath
• 5,198sqft
• Circa 1866

 

678 Onondaga St W, Syracuse, NY 13204  $10,000

If interested in a property, please contact the realtor whose link is provided in the post below, or contact an agent of your own choosing. Independent verification of details and status is recommended. 

• Contact Realtor: Greater Syracuse Land Bank with Greater Syracuse Land Bank
• Google Map
• Niche

History

This New York fixer upper mansion for sale is the Foster-Hubbard House. It was designed and built in 1866 by Simon DeGraff, a prominent local architect, builder, and industrialist of the times who wrote the book,

“The Modern Geometrical Stair-Builder’s Guide”  in 1851.

Talk about hypocrisy. In 1974, the Landmarks Association of Central New York made this home their temporary headquarters. By 1976, it had become the headquarters for the Child and Family Service of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Inc.  The Department of Aging also had headquarters here in the 1970s. And all of the government they let it deteriorate into this after they were done with it?!

In 2015, Syracuse Land Bank sold the fabled “Oz House” for $10,000 to the “All Things OZ Historical Foundation. It was nicknamed so because it was rumored that “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum met his wife Maud Gage at the home. That was later debunked (the home where he met Gage has been demolished).

The Syracuse Land Bank oversees sales to ensure buyers follow through with rehabbing the properties. After two years,  “All Things Oz” hadn’t done any work at all, so the Land Bank put it back on the market in May 2018.

From there, a woman from downstate New York purchased the home with plans to make it her primary residence. Alas, she also did not follow through, and again it is back in the hands of the Syracuse Land Bank.

 

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