By Thomas J. Sullivan–
Drivers busily passing by the former Wheeler house at the corner of Old Auburn Road and Mariposa Avenue have likely noticed recent indications that cleanup of the property is actively continuing.
Plywood boards have been removed from the downstairs windows, some windows have been replaced, and a fresh coat of exterior white paint has been applied. A perimeter fencing barrier has also been added.
From 2018: Clean up begins at blighted property on Old Auburn after sale of home
So what are the plans for the property, and will the home be restored?
In June, The Sentinel reached out to the property’s new owner, Thomas Szymoniak, but efforts were not successful. Szymoniak, whose family owns the Pumpkin Farm next door, purchased the property last year following the death of James Wheeler, who formerly lived at the home.
In an interview last year, Szymoniak said he planned to clean up the home and property and make it weatherproof, with a new roof, if the building could be saved. Work on the roof does not appear to have begun.
Asked about the home, Greg Anderson, chief building official for the City of Citrus Heights, said no building permits have been issued or requested for the property so far. However, he said the city’s understanding is that “it’s the intent of the owner at this time to preserve, and not to demolish the former Wheeler residence.”
The Wheeler home was built around 1940 and sits on a 2.7-acre parcel of land at 7716 Old Auburn Rd. Prior to Szymoniak purchasing the home in 2018, the prominent corner location had long-been an eyesore, after weeds and vegetation became overgrown and the home visibly deteriorated.
Upon purchasing the property and beginning cleanup inside, Szymoniak described the interior as “kind of a house of horrors,” noting the roof had been leaking for years and the place had been ransacked inside, apparently by homeless.
Larry Fritz, president of the Citrus Heights Historical Society, said he has been in telephone contact with Syzmoniak in recent months and is arranging for a time to meet to discuss his plans for the historic residence. Fritz said he’s “optimistic” about the home’s future, “now that it’s part of the Pumpkin Farm and [Syzmoniak] has taken steps to begin work on the property.”
Szymoniak, whose family name is also sometimes spelled “Shymoniak” said his family moved to Citrus Heights from Canada in 1972, where they bought the 12-acre Pumpkin Farm property at 7736 Old Auburn Rd. His father, known by many as “Farmer Leonard,” headed up the farm’s operations until he passed away in 2017.
Last spring, old documents and memorabilia found in the former Wheeler House attracted the interest of the Historical Society, who had several of its members spend part of a weekend sifting through boxes of old items from the former Wheeler home.
Several photos of the Wheeler family, who reportedly built the home, were found, as well as a 1932 expense journal from the Great Depression era, which Fritz said had financials “documented down to the penny,” including church contributions, groceries, and other expenses.
Fritz said he is looking forward to having an exhibit with items from the Wheeler House on display at future Historical Society events.
The City of Citrus Heights had at one point considered purchasing the home when the property was slated to be auctioned due to its tax-defaulted status, but those plans fell through and Szymoniak purchased the home for $407,000.
Asked what his plans were for the property following the purchase of the home last year, Szymoniak declined to state any specific plans, but said he was “certainly not planning to develop and put new houses on it.”
Related story, from 2018: City considering purchase of run-down property at Mariposa/Old Auburn
