The old Boutwell House might survive after all.

A prospective buyer with "local ties" has stepped in, hoping to save the historic Stillwater house, said Jonathan Lindstrom, the real estate agent in charge of selling the property.

Lindstrom did not identify the interested party or discuss what the potential buyer planned to do with the house, part of which was being torn down in January when HGTV star Nicole Curtis, of "Rehab Addict," stepped in to stop the demolition an hour after it had started.

The bidder met with Curtis' representatives last week to discuss how they could save the house, Lindstrom said.

"In the next couple of weeks they're going to try to get some numbers together for what we feel it's going to cost to get the property where it needs to be," he said.

The 5-acre property and house, which is owned by Joel Adamic, who lives in Arizona, is listed at $650,000, the original sale price.

The Boutwell House was built in the 1870s and was home to William T. Boutwell, a Presbyterian missionary from New Hampshire who helped name Lake Itasca and organize the local Presbyterian Church.

After his death in 1890, Boutwell was buried in the family cemetery across the street from the house. The interior of the home has been renovated over the years, but the exterior remains much the same.

Lindstrom said that in addition to the prospective buyer, other people recently expressed interest in the property.

"There's definitely a chance to do something and keep the property there and keep that legacy of the Boutwell property," he said.

Blair Emerson is a University of Minnesota student reporter on assignment for the Star Tribune.