The childhood home of baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron was moved six miles in 2008 from its original location to the stadium of the minor league Mobile Bay Bears baseball team where it serves as a museum to honor the baseball great. Moving a house is a difficult task that requires a lot of hard work.

First the crew had to remove all the brick veneer from the sides of the house, which revealed a layer of asbestos siding beneath it. Since exposure to asbestos poses a potential health risk, the siding was carefully removed by asbestos specialists wearing protective clothing and respirators, and properly disposed of in plastic bags.

Next, the roofing and rafters were removed so the house fit beneath any utility wires encountered along the way. Once extra bracing had been added to stabilize the structure, the entire building was covered with tarps to keep it dry.

When everything was ready, steel beams were welded together and inserted under the foundation. Hydraulic jacks were then used to lift the house, with wood cribbing providing support.

After the house was high enough off the ground, dolly wheels were attached to the steel beams on the 30-ton structure. A tractor trailer truck was hooked to the front and used to pull the house to its new location.

Negotiating sharp turns was a slow process, since the house had to be jacked up again so the tires could be repositioned. The trip across town took six hours, but was well worth the effort. Watch this video to find out more.

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