Glen Ellyn couple saves coach house from wrecking ball

A coach house that was headed for the wrecking ball got a new life this week when a Glen Ellyn couple moved the 45,000-pound structure from an adjacent property to their home on Carleton Avenue.

Greg and Tammy Morey moved to Glen Ellyn last year with their children and bought a 2,300-square-foot Dutch Colonial home.

The previous owners had maintained the main house and the coach home - a Sears Catalog house - on an adjacent property about 30 feet to the north.

A developer was planning to tear down the coach home and the Moreys asked if they could try to save it.

"I talked to the builder and he gave me permission to move the structure to my property," Greg Morey said Tuesday. "We are thrilled we can actually own a piece of Glen Ellyn history."

Crews were on the scene Tuesday to lift the coach house off its foundation and move it to Morey's property where the family hopes to integrate the building into its home.

"It was at least the second time the coach house has been moved," Morey said. "Years ago, previous owners lifted it off its slab and placed it atop what was then a newly constructed basement foundation."