One of the oldest homes in the city of Melbourne is still in danger of being torn down.

It's up to the community to come forward to save the 19th Century house; a house which many didn't even know was there until recently.

It's like stepping back in history -- but unfortunately it's falling apart.

A local group continues it's quest to save the home known as Green Gables; but if they don't act fast, it will be no more.

"He decided he wanted a house here, so he built himself a house," said John Daly, Green Gables preservationist.

"This is their name. This is the Wells," said Coy Clark, a local developer.

John Daly and Coy Clark are part of a group trying to save a home built by the Wells family; a name entrenched in the history of the city of Melbourne.

Including the Victorian style summer home, built back in 1896 on a bluff overlooking the Indian River near what is today the downtown area.

Pictures were taken in the property's heyday show the 3,000 plus square-foot house, sitting on a large, beautifully landscaped yard. 

Inside the home was immaculate and ornate -- depicting the time it was built, and an incredible attention to detail.

Now, more than a century later, and it's slowly deteriorated; the home hasn't been lived in for a decade.

The city notified the owners -- who are descendants of the Wells -- of code violations after complaints of the property being overgrown and in disrepair. There were even reports that and homeless people were breaking in.

Now with the owners' permission -- the group is trying to save Green Gables.

"We'd talk to folks and they'd say 'is there a house back there?', [or] Green Gables, where is that?" Said Daly.

So Clark made a donation to clear out all the trees and brush obscuring the home from busy US Highway 1.

Now that it's seen again -- they need to raise $900,000 to buy the property -- if not, a piece of local history faces demolition.

"That's why we need to do everything we can to save it," said Clark.

The group says the clock is ticking to save the home-- especially if the family decides to sell to someone who wants to tear it down and rebuild on the prime piece of riverfront property.

For more information on how you can help, you can visit the Green Gables website.