Yuba City's oldest living mayor has finally found a buyer for his historic Plumas Street home.


Perry Mosburg and his daughters, Barbara Green and Joyce Hansen, have been on a low-key search for the right buyer since Mosburg, 99, went to live in an assisted-living home.


Mosburg's 31/2-story, Victorian-style house was built in the 1880s by Dr. Eli Teegarden, a prominent Yuba City physician. The home survived the 1955 flood and a fire with few changes since Mosburg bought it in 1941.


But the Mosburg family worried that the home wouldn't survive long after a sale, fearing that a new buyer would move it or knock it down just like the historic Onstott House, which was demolished to make way for development.


“After the Onstott House, we wanted to make sure someone was willing to keep it as it is, because we didn't want it torn down,” said Hansen.


The former Yuba City mayor is still sharp and remembers


the family's life in the home.


“There's a lot of memories,” said Mosburg. “One of the girls was born there, the other was 7 years old, raised (there).”


They think they have found the right owners in Jerry and Cindy Paine, who say they will keep it much as it is now. Only a few renovations will be needed for Cindy Paine to make it into the wedding chapel that she has planned for the home.


This Old House Photo Gallery

“We're going to try and keep everything historic, not change too much,” said Cindy Paine, who hopes to call her new business “Mosburg Manor.”

“I think it's going to be great,” said Green. “It's going to be beautiful when they get done with it.”

The Mosburg house is familiar to Jerry Paine. He grew up on Almond Street, two blocks from Mosburg's home. When Paine was a child, he used to ride his bike to Mosburg's sporting goods store on Plumas Street to buy worms for fishing in the Feather River. He recalls Mosburg yelling at him to get out of the driveway with his bicycle because it was kicking up dust.

“I grew up in this old downtown, so it's important to save the history of downtown,” said Jerry Paine, who owns Jerry's Stereo on Bridge Street.

Years later, Paine showed up at Mosburg's assisted-living facility, which led to his purchase of the 4,000-square-foot home on Feb. 26 for an undisclosed purchase price.

Prior to that, the Mosburg family had sent a letter to Yuba City asking if the city wanted to buy the house, but the city passed on the offer, said Hansen. There were other potential buyers, but the family was picky, she said, out of fear the house would be razed.

“We didn't want it torn down,” said Hansen.

The Paines are also buying the Mosburg commercial building just to the north of the home, which Mosburg used for an auto repair business and a sporting goods shop. Jerry's Stereo, which is currently located on Bridge Street, will move to the Mosburg building. Shadd Janitorial Supply is moving to 226 Bridge St.

Appeal-Democrat reporter John Dickey can be reached at 749-4711. You may e-mail him at jdickey@appeal-democrat.com.