Bob Wills’ Former Home for Sale on eBay

Got a dollar? You might be able to afford a piece of country music history. The historic home that once belonged to Western Swing legend Bob Wills has been put up for auction on eBay after a land developer in Fresno, Calif. threatened to tear it down to make way for a planned subdivision.

Wills settled at the Triple B Ranch at the height of his success in 1945, and his daughter was born there. But in the ensuing decades it has become run down, and Granville Homes in Fresno recently acquired a demolition permit to knock down the dilapidated structure to make way for 200 new homes. The local Historic Preservation Commission has declared the house a historical landmark, and vowed to take whatever steps are necessary to protect it.

"I would see this ending up in court definitely," Chairman Don Simmons recently said. "It deserves to end up in court. Developers shouldn't have this much sway over the preservation community."

Granville Homes owner Darius Assemi has listed the home online for just one dollar, with the caveat that it has to be moved immediately, which will cost around $40,000. He tells KFSN in Fresno that there's no question the house has to go, one way or the other. "You have to ask yourself this question: Would you want to buy a brand new home next to this house?" he states.

The eBay auction ends on June 11, and the deadline for moving the house is June 17, though Assemi says there might be some flexibility there if someone comes forward with a serious offer. The Bob Wills Heritage Foundation and singer Merle Haggard have both been contacted to see if they can provide assistance in the matter.

Update: The listing has since been removed from eBay. It's unclear if the house has been sold, or the listing simply closed.