Home of the longest FBI shootout will move to new location in Marion County

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A group in Marion County is fighting to prevent the demolition of an historic house that was the center of one of the most infamous FBI shootouts.

“Ma” Barker and her son, Fred Barker, had the longest shootout in FBI history in 1935 from inside the Ocklawaha home. The Barkers refused to surrender and shot at the FBI, the agents fired back, investigators said. About 2,500 rounds were exchanged.

The land was sold, but the house was not included.

"We need to try and save this home and if we have to spend $100,000 to move it, to save it, that is a much better prospect than turning it into kindling and losing it forever,” said George Allbright, tax collector and historian.

A group working to save the home from demolition tried to buy it, but the $750,000 price tag was too expensive.

The land itself, sold back in May, with the provision that the family keep the house.

The county will be able to get the home, if it pays more than $100,000 to move it to the Chamber of Commerce property down the street.

Marion County commissioners decided Tuesday to put together a committee to work on the project because they say this house is too important to lose.

“We're going to save this for the people of Marion County and the people of the state of Florida,” Allbright said.

Officials said if everything works out, they hope to move this home within the next few months. Once it’s been moved, they want to restore the home, open it and turn the house into a museum with a possible tourist attraction.

Contact Myrt Price for more on this story.

Cox Media Group