The $4 million price tag for the Bona Allen Mansion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A who’s who of American history visited an early 20th-century Italian-style estate in Buford, Georgia, which will shortly sell for $4 million.
President Theodore Roosevelt, President William Howard Taft, cowboy singers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, opera artist Enrico Caruso, “Gunsmoke” star James Arness, and the cast of “Bonanza” have all visited the house, which is roughly 40 miles from Atlanta.
The 1911 Bona Allen Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. It is named after the leather goods manufacturer who ordered it and contributed to the town’s development.
The main house, which is 9,000 square feet, has 22 rooms, a central tower, a sweeping entrance, and Corinthian columns. Two specially created brass lion sculptures imported from Italy in 1911 frame the building’s impressive facade. A 1,200 square foot gym, two film studios, a guest house, and a tennis court are all located on its 6 acres.
For $1.05 million, Dawn and Steve Siebold purchased it in 2015 to use as the main office for their consulting firm, Siebold Success Network. The 2020 best-seller “How Money Works: Stop Being a UCKER” was co-written by Mr. Siebold.
The home has a distinctive architectural design with cream-colored brick and a red tile roof. Here, that fashion is uncommon. It has a Florida vibe.
The Siebolds lived close by on Lake Lanier when The Mansion, as locals refer to it, came up for sale.
Mr. Siebold claimed that his wife had taken her fourth-grade class there. Its construction impressed him. It’s like a tank, he remarked. The walls and doors are substantial.
The Siebolds renovated the carriage house into a gym and installed the tennis court.
According to Mr. Siebold, they spent $1 million renovating the property while attempting to keep everything the same. “We didn’t want history to be disturbed.”
To replace the 1911 roof, the same Chicago company produced tiles. The late 1400s villa of Italy’s Grand Duke of Tuscany, Villa di Castello, is original down to the grand staircase, hardwood flooring, and wall mural.
In the fading light, as the wind whispered through the grand oak trees, the mansion stood proud and dignified. Once a haven for power and history, its halls echoed with the footsteps of past leaders. Now, transformed into a museum, it preserves the legacy of the nation, reminding visitors of the pivotal moments that unfolded within the walls of the mansion used to host US presidents.