But a local organization is now eyeing the vacant city-owned structure as a potential spot to proudly display some of Saratoga's oldest artifacts.

At a Saratoga City Council meeting, Bob Louden, president of the Saratoga Historical Foundation, expressed interest in using the McWilliams House as an adjunct to the current Saratoga Historical Museum. He said that the foundation could utilize the modest 480-square-foot parcel in a number of ways.

One of the three options Louden suggested was to have exhibits parallel to those displayed in the museum featured in the building. These artifacts, which include kitchen appliances dating back 100 years, a short-wave radio set from the 1920s, farm equipment, old school textbooks and newspaper articles, are currently stored in a room in the back of the museum due to space constraints. Louden said that displaying these items would help educate the community and visitors to the museum about Saratoga's rich history and would guide them through the city's transformation from a lumbering town to an agriculturally based society to a thriving community in current-day Silicon Valley.

According to Louden, who spoke on behalf of the foundation, monthly programs can also be held inside the building. The foundation's programs include weekly walking tours and potluck dinners held every other month featuring speakers discussing different aspects of the city's history, such as the inter-urban railway that linked Saratoga with Palo Alto in the 1930s.

Other ideas that Louden tossed out included using the space as a gift shop or a storage area.

"If the McWilliams House does not become available, we will simply have to turn away some additional artifacts and exhibits," said Louden. "The challenge with history is that every day there is more of it than the day before. Our needs will have to be balanced by the city against competing uses for this property."

However, competition seems to be out of the picture. Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith said she would like to see the building used for historical purposes.

"The building would complement the museum," she said. "It will add to the city's uniqueness and will hopefully bring more people to the area."

Councilman Norman Kline added that turning the building into a museum or having it used for historical purposes would be the most "sensible solution" out of the other options that recreation director Joan Pisani tossed out on the table. Those options included leasing the building to a small business and using it as a possible meeting place for various commissions.

The McWilliams House, located in Historical Park, has completed its first phase of renovation. During that phase, the fence in the front of the building was replaced, a drainage system around the property was installed, and the gazebo and termite-infested storage shed were removed. However, more work needs to be done in order for the building to be considered adequate.

On the list of things to do is installing new front and back stairs and porches, replacing the siding on the back of the house and painting the exterior of the building. Council members voted to hold off on these repairs but directed staff to eliminate the more immediate problems like the termite situation in the meantime. This will involve sealing the building with plastic tents to fumigate the facility and applying treatment solution to the soil.

According to Pisani, if the house is used for museum purposes, grants from the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department will be available to make the necessary building improvements. To be eligible for these funds, the site must be located in a park and cannot be used for administrative purposes.