Senator Questions Costs In Restoring Oklahoma Historic House

Associated Press

LAWTON, Oklahoma -- U.S. Senator Tom Coburn wonders if it's worth the cost to repair a historic southwest Oklahoma house damaged by a wildfire.

The Ferguson House sustained extensive damage in the fire that started on the Fort Sill U.S. Army post in August 2010. The cobblestone house on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was built in 1926-27. It's on the National Register of Historic Places but was boarded up at the time of the fire.

In a report, Coburn, Representative of Oklahoma, cites the proposal to restore the building as an example of wasteful government spending due to "outmoded federal regulations."

Refuge Manager Tony Booth tells the Lawton Constitution a preliminary figure given to Coburn to repair the building was $488,600.

Booth says after further research, the restoration cost could be $250,000 or less.