Zebulon — The law office of Gay and Jackson only rolled a block or so down Arendell Avenue Saturday before reaching its new lot, but Andy Gay insists the effort was for good reasons.

Gay, the town attorney, decided a while back to sell the business-zoned lot to developers who wanted to place a Walgreen’s on a corner lot at the corner of Arendell and Gannon Avenues.

“When you think about the two old gas stations and the area it’s in, it’s good for the town — for the clean look, for traffic, everything,” Gay said.

Giving up the lot was OK in his book, but the house, which he purchased in 1995, has more to it than just a foundation.

It is one of the oldest houses in Zebulon, according to Gay, who said it was the house of Dr. J.F. Coltrane, the first dentist in town with a practice that opened in 1909. Gay still has the old wooden placard from the front of the building that reads, “Coltrane House — 1914,” making it 94 years old.

Of course some repairs and renovations kept the building alive over the last 13 years, but even many of them were done with an eye to preserve the past. Siding and windows were replace with modern materials, but finishings like pocket doors were refurbished minding their historic nature.

Gay spent much time making sure the building was maintained and preserved, and when he decided it was time to move the building he further preserved its place in history.

“I had other places I had thought of putting the home [just outside of town], but wanted it to stay in Zebulon, in downtown, where it belongs,” Gay said.

Now named Patience Hall after his daughter Abigail Patience Gay, who was born just before he purchased the building in 1995, the building’s history has revealed itself to Gay over his years of practicing law.

“I know the grandson of the man who built the pocket doors, I’ve represented the son of the man who built the steps on the side porch,” Gay said.

Gay said Captain Dave Privette, who used to operate the power mill at the Little River Community Park, wired the building and his daughter, Vivian, and two sons, Wayne and Curtis helped hold the bracing bits to bore holes through the rafters.

Although the move only took the building from 305 N. Arendell Avenue to 500 N. Arendell Avenue, Gay said its seen too much and deserves to stay on that main stretch through town.

Despite the burden of responsibility in preparing power and phone lines for the large relocation, Gay said the building is significant to Zebulon, and that just like himself it will always be right here.

Everyone was in place for the move at 5:30 a.m. and the house was rolling by 5:45.

The move was a joint effort from K.B. Bunn & Son, of Zebulon, who supplied the steerable, hydraulic dollies on which the house rolled, and C. Blake Lewis, of Pilot, who supplied the truck to haul the building.

Also assisting in the move was Kim Brownie, who voluntarily came up from Florida to offer his expertise on the steerable dollies.

The building safely reached its new lot around 11 a.m., and positioning the building was still taking place Monday morning.