TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- The history of the Spain House spans over 100 years. The house has been an historical building for the city of Tupelo.
The structure has been under different ownership over the years and Tuesday night, the Tupelo City Council voted to turn the house over to the Tupelo Historical Society.
"I'm pleased. I'm just so glad to get to this point. It's just been such a battle to get to this point. We're ready to take this property and we're ready to find more grant money and find more membership dollars and get more people into our society so we can get ready to put this house back together again," Historic Preservation Commission member Doyce Deas said.
The contract that turns the house over to the society passed with a 4-3 vote, due to the fact that there was a lot of debate about the insurance policy for the house. It's an issue brought up by the city attorney at Tuesday's meeting.
"If there was a claim at that home, at the Spain House, in the future, if any attorney linked the city to them, then we would be out a $5,000 deductible," Councilman Mike Bryan said.
There was long debate about a certain clause in the contract that would link the city of Tupelo to the home if there was a lawsuit.
There was a vote to have the clause removed so that the city would not be able to be linked to the house and would not have to be responsible for that high-dollar deductible.
The council voted 4-3 to keep it in.
Nonetheless, ownership of the house has legally been transferred.
"Well the next step is, it's legally transferred to us and we'll continue to find monies. First off, we have to have a new roof. That's just essential. So we'll continue to raise funds for a new roof and grant possibilities," Deas said.
The Tupelo Historical Society plans to get started right away.
