The home has been in the Janvrin family since 1850, according to society president Eric Small, and is an excellent example of the Cape Cod houses that were once common to small fishing villages along the New England coast.

Fishing employed most of the men living in Seabrook in 1850, according to a census of that time. Ninety-four men were employed as seamen, compared to 83 shoemakers, 68 laborers and 64 farmers.

Many of the fishermen lived in South Seabrook, in a house such as the one on Collins Street owned by Frank Janvrin. The small, gray half-cape, built between 1825 to 1830 has retained many of its original features, said Small.

Before the historical society can preserve the house for future generations, it must move the house and get permission from voters to place it on town land.

Small, who with society member Bruce Brown has been working for months to iron out the details before presenting the plan to the Board of Selectmen, finally went before the board on Wednesday.

There will be no cost to the town for the society to get the house, move it and maintain it, Small said. Janvrin is offering the house for free, and the society was recently bequeathed money which will pay for Northeast Building Movers of North Hampton to move the home.

Small estimated the cost to move the house at $35,000.

Mainly, what the organization needs is permission to transport the house and place it on town land next to the Old South Meeting House on Route 1 at the intersection of Route 107, Small said. The town purchased three acres of land there in the 1980s for historic purposes, Small said.

Chairman Asa Knowles supported the idea. Selectman Cora Stockbridge asked if the acquisition of the house would eventually cost taxpayers money.

Small said the house, because of its small size, will be relatively inexpensive to maintain and the funds would come from the historical society.

Town Manager Fred Welch said because the historical society is looking for a lease of the property for more than a year, the plan will need voter approval. Selectmen approved placing a warrant article on the ballot this March to lease the land to the historical society.

The house would go on Lafayette Road at the front of the property, to the right of the old meeting house and to the left of a service station.

"I know over the years we’ve talked about putting historic houses there," Stockbridge said. "We have no historic houses left."

The Collins Street house might have joined other old houses that have gone under the wrecking ball had not Janvrin offered it to the historical society first. Janvrin is building another home on the site.

"I’m all for it myself," Knowles said. "I was born two houses from there."