A Connecticut home that is a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is about to go on the auction block.
The sale of the 10,000-square-foot home in Somers is set for Tuesday.
S. Prestley Blake, who co-founded the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Friendly's restaurant chain, had the house built for $7.7 million in 2014 ahead of his 100th birthday. No one has ever lived in the home, and it failed to sell for a reduced listing price of $4.9 million.
Blake, who lives nearby, is a fan of Jefferson, who had the original Monticello built over 28 years in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The copycat home by Blake mimics the original from the outside, but has an updated interior that includes an elevator, gourmet kitchen and lights and heating that can be controlled from a phone app.
