Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesTom Petty‘s childhood home in Gainesville, Florida, is up for sale and, according to The Gainesville Sun, a real-estate agent from California who also is a huge fan of the late rocker has put a down payment on the property, which he’s hoping to have declared a historic landmark.
“I’ve been a fan since the debut LP,” says Kevin Beauchamp, who tells the newspaper he made an offer $175,000 for the residence after hearing that its current owner, Brandy Clark, mentioned on a Petty Facebook fan page that she was considering selling the property. He also says he’s in contract to buy the house and could become the new owner within 45 days.
According to multiple real estate sites, the house was built in 1952, is just under 1,300 square feet, and has two bedrooms and one bath.
Beauchamp reveals that he’s working with two other Petty fans — one of which is Jeff Goldstein, president of the nonprofit Gainesville Music History Foundation — in securing historical landmark status for the property. He says the trio, hopefully with help from the city, will partner on raising the money to buy the house and maintain the property.
Through the foundation, Goldstein also has been working toward creating a Gainesville music museum that would honor Petty and other local musicians of significance.
Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe tells the newspaper that the city is open to discussing making Petty’s former home a historic landmark, although concerns about having a tourist destination located in a residential neighborhood would have to be addressed. Any proposal would have to be approved by the City Commission.
Clark says fans frequently visit the house to take photos, and that her mailbox was stolen during a two-day Petty birthday bash organized by the city last year.
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