1842 Tampa house could be torn down

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3210 E Eighth Ave.: The home was once the residence of Dr. Sheldon Stringer, who was surgeon to Gen. Joseph Finegan, commander of Confederate forces in Florida during the Civil War.

Preservationists are looking for a way to save what may be the oldest house in Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Times reports. It was a boarding house in downtown Tampa, and was once the home of a prominent surgeon who served the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The yellow Georgian-style home at 3210 E Eighth Ave. is for sale for $22,000. An investor could tear it down and build three units in its place, according to Tampa zoning laws.

Preservationists are concerned because of the loss of significant local landmarks over the years. The well-known 94-year-old Spanish Park Restaurant was bulldozed in 1993.  In 1994, fire destroyed a 91-year-old church. Last year wrecking crews  knocked down the 1913 Gary Elementary School.

The home was built in 1842 at the close of the Second Seminole War. In 1914, it was moved from downtown Tampa to what is now the edge of Ybor City. It was built with pegs, not nails, according to a local history buff.