At this point, though, it may be just a temporary reprieve.

This is the story:

Durham attorney Jack Walker is trustee for an estate that owns the house in question: 407 Ottawa Ave., a Craftsman-style cottage of about 1,000 square feet built in 1925. According to neighbor Eleni Vlachos, it is a "contributing structure" to her Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood's status as a historic district.

But the house is in bad shape. Walker has tried to sell it: no luck; to rent it: no luck. According to city records, 407 Ottawa has 22 ordinance violations lodged against it, including "a harborage for vermin and vagrants." Those violations represent accumulating fines.

"I'm left with, what to do?" Walker said. "Just keep this black hole or demolish it?"

He took the latter course. Tuesday morning, a demolition man arrived with a backhoe on a trailer and prepared to knock the house down. A neighbor who happened to be at home saw it and spread the word.

Gradually, a crowd assembled, said Faye Broadwater of Holloway Street. "Some got off their jobs and came to the site."

City officials, including City Council member Farad Ali, arrived. The demolition permit was sent for and presented. It was all in order. The city officials said there was nothing they could do.

"The neighbors continued to stand our ground," said Broadwater. "We don't want any more vacant lots, especially with houses that are contributing" to historic status. The house has problems, she said, "But not anything that can't be fixed."

The backhoe operator called his boss, who called Walker. The neighbors called, too, Walker said: "Please don't tear it down."

Negotiating went on awhile, then another neighbor, who was about to leave town on vacation, offered the demolition company $900 to cover the day's cost and spare the house. Barefoot said she offered to buy the house for $10,000. (Its assessed value is $43,603). Walker agreed to rethink demolition for one week.

"I was pleased with that one," Broadwater said. "Not that I want the house, but I don't want it torn down."

Preservation-minded Durham citizens have taken issue for some time about the city's demolishing, or allowing demolition of, old houses rather than renovating them.

"We hope to work something out to save the house," Vlachos said.

"If I can work it out so I'm content, the city's content, the demolition man's content -- I had a contract, you know -- and [the neighbors] are content, I'll do it," Walker said.

"No one's flooding me with offers."