A vacant house is the subject of a dispute among members of the Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society.

The Benson house, once owned by early residents of the city, has stood empty on 15 Live Oak Street since Ella Louise Benson died in 2006. Benson's will left the ranch house and property to the historical society, which is now divided on its future use.

A faction of the society wants to keep the house as part of the Benson property, which also includes 17 Live Oak St. and 8 Pfeiffer St. Another group is ready to let go of the house, as was decided in a vote by the approximately 20 members a year ago and approved by board of directors.

David Walby, past president of the society, said the group now includes about 60 members, and most of the new members added in the last two months want to keep the Benson house.

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The fate of the house should become clearer in the next two weeks. Barbara Udit, the board secretary, plans to make several motions and requests related to the house at a board meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Ford Conference Room at the Gulf Breeze Community Center.

"We feel the poor Bensons, out of the goodness of their heart, left this to the city to preserve some historic presence here," said Udit, who is in favor of keeping the house in memory of Ella Louise Benson and her husband, Mark, who died in 1994.

Benson's will states the property was bequeathed to the society "to establish and maintain a public museum to be known as the Mark X. and E. Louise Benson Museum" to display the exhibits of city architecture, culture and history.

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The Bensons, who came to Gulf Breeze in the 1930s, once owned the building on the corner of U.S. 90 and Northcliffe Drive where AT&T, Dunkin Donuts and Mattress Firm are now located. Udit said the Bensons left the building to the Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, which then sold the property. Two other buildings near the house were razed.

"The only thing left is the house, and people feel it's horrible these people have ignored these people's wishes," Udit said.

Gordon Sprague, the historical society's president emeritus, said the organization is doing no such thing. Sprague, whose wife, Bette, is the current president, said the historical society evaluated the viability of keeping the property but has not given up on establishing a museum, as Ella Louise Benson requested.

"We have never veered from the course of a museum, but we don't feel we can do it there," Gordon Sprague said. "It's limited in size, it's not historic in background and there's limited parking."

Sprague said any decision on the house will be on hold until after the society's May 16 election of new officers.

Duncan Avenue resident Richard Kienitz, who lives around the corner from the Benson house, said he's rooting for the historical society to sell the property.

He and his wife, Nancy, joined the historical society on Thursday because of ongoing issues over the house, which he calls "an eyesore." Overgrown plants cover the yard and fences surrounding the house. There's "No Trespassing" signs in the windows and a boat trailer is parked in the driveway.

"Let a developer put something there more appropriate," Kienitz said. "The best thing for us, it seems, would be for someone to put up a good office building. It would be better than multiple houses or an apartment."

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Former Gulf Breeze resident Peter Cowley, who grew up in the city, has discussed the possibility of leasing the Benson house to develop a cultural and arts center in the city.

The historical society gave him 90 days to set up a nonprofit before it would decide on his request. Cowley, a member of the historical society, said he's waiting to receive his tax-exempt certificate to complete the process.

He said he supports saving the house but will wait until after the board elections to decide if he'll pursue the house as a site for the Gulf Breeze Center for the Arts and History.

"I don't think the current board has any interest at all," Cowley said. "I think the Bensons, with the will, were trying to do something for the community."

Walby said selling the property could allow the historical society to contribute to the community. He said the organization could use proceeds from the sale to find a location for the society or start a scholarship fund for high school or college students.

Historical society memorabilia and artifacts are currently displayed in the Ford Conference Room at the community center.

Walby said it's time for the organization to move on from the Benson house.  He estimated the house costs the historical society about $250 to $300 a month.

"It's a valuable piece of property," Walby said. "What we have to do to make it public access, it can't happen. There's one bathroom, mold all over the place. There's three different electrical systems in the house. You have to have someone there 12 hours a day on staff and we don't have that."

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