Seattle's "up" house saved from demolition

Seattle's "Up" house has been saved from demolition after coming under the threat of the bulldozer.

The Edith Macefield House, as it has become known, in honour of its late owner, has been sitting in the same spot of the Ballard neighbourhood for decades, despite the erection of taller buildings all around it. Before she passed away in 2008, she was offered $1 million for her home and the land it stood on to make way for a new commercial development. She turned it down.

Her stubbornness won her fans both locally and online around the world - indeed, similar refusals to make way for towering projects have been reported in China - while the site manager of the development became close friends with her.

"I went through World War II, the noise doesn't bother me," she told the Seattle Pi when construction was underway. "They'll get it done someday."

Now, the home has been saved from potential demolition, the broker, Paul Thomas, has confirmed to Mashable. The new owner has agreed to donate the home to a non-profit organisation, which will moved to a new location. The use of balloons to do so has not been confirmed, but the broker said in a statement: "The house really will float away, but not by air. I can't possibly imagine a more wonderful ending for this chapter of the Edith Macefield story."

"The development we’ll announce on Tuesday is like something out of a fairy tale," he added.

Photo: KING5Seattle