For the last two years, the Quinlan Visual Arts Center has tried to give away an aging house on its property in Gainesville.

Without a suitable new home for the historic building, the center sought the Gainesville Historic Preservation Commission’s approval for demolition.

The commission voted 3-2 to approve the demolition of the structure, known as the Moon-Apperson House, with a few stipulations at a public hearing on Monday night.

To ensure the house’s history and significance isn’t lost, the guidelines require the structure be fully documented and that an interpretive plaque be located on the site.

The center plans to use the property as an outdoor sculpture garden and classroom space once the house has been removed. The commission will have to approve the center’s design as part of the agreement as well.

The two-story craftsman style side-gabled bungalow was built on Candler Street in 1920. Over the years, it has been renovated and had rooms added.

“It is a historic building because of its age. Its character is sort of typical of other buildings throughout the city. It was owned and lived in by a Mrs. Moon Apperson who had some ties to the social development of the city,” said Jessica Tullar, Gainesville special projects manager.

In 2010, The Times reported that the home was once owned by Ross Apperson, who regularly taught art classes on his enclosed front porch. The land was purchased from the Apperson family by the center, and the Quinlan still holds summer camps and painting classes in its parking lot and in the grassy areas behind the house.

Amanda McClure, executive director of the center, said there were three different groups that were interested in the home but it ultimately didn’t meet the various needs of the groups.

“We really did try. We tried and tried to find a really good home for the home. It’s sad because in a perfect world you wouldn’t want to tear down something in the historic district. But our mission is to promote the visual arts in this area. And really the expansion into that land into a sculpture garden would be so much more beneficial to us than a decaying structure,” McClure said.

She said the center’s board has tried everything members can think of to use the home. The home was rented to a tenant who completed some work on the home but later left the lease. The center also considered using the house as classroom space but the low ceilings wouldn’t provide enough room for standard easels.

According to the city’s Community Development Department Memorandum, city staff toured the inside of the building earlier this year in response to a previous demolition request, which was withdrawn. The building inspector observed that the house was deteriorating, particularly in the left-rear portion. The roof was also compromised at the rear of the house and rain has entered the building and caused significant damage to the ceiling and support framing.

“Our plans to start the demolition will commence soon, however, we would still donate the structure to be moved and renovated if someone were to express that intent in the immediate future,” McClure said.