Evening star., 1948-09-03
Ar|ingtoINan
Buys0ak Hill
For orS220,000
Thomas De Lushmutt
Acquires Monroe's
Estate at Auction
BY O Stor SioH Correspondent

BY Stor Sioff Correspondent
LEEsBURG, Va, Sept. Soak
Hill, owned by a proud Virginian
who once refused 100000 for 1t
because of dreams of making it
shrine to President Monroe, was
sold Yesterday for 100000,
The buyer, who was one OF three
bidders. is Thomas N. DeLashmutt,
4e. former Arlington builder and
now a gentleman farmer on the
6oO-acre Evergreen Farm, miles
south of Oak Hill.
His bid for the historic mansion
where President Monroe shapeo
the Monroe Doctrine, was mace as
a crowd of 300 or more stood patent
lv around the mansions north facaoe
more than an nour while Auctloneer
Robert L. Wright OF LovettsVllle'
Va. pleaded for a higher price.
Plans Stock Farm.
Mr.. DeLashmutt plans to re-de-
yelop the l.725-acre estate on the
northern fringes of Bull Run Noun
tain .nto a stock farm ana 10 use
the mansion which Thomas Jeler-
son designed as home for his "l1e
and three children.
While the desultory bids came
from the crowd, Owner FRANK o.
Littleton was nowhere In sight
Some reports had him IN New York,
others had him riding around IN a.
taxi to keep away from the crowd.
Under the law, he still mas so
davs in which to regain the prop
erty and hold on to his cherished
dream of making it shrine to the
Nations fifth President.
Immediately after Auctioneer
Wright uttered sold" Laurence
Hoes. 6ll5 Western avenue NV,
Washington, Reconstruction FL
nance Corp. official and a descend
ant of President Monroe, made a
plea to that end.
He asked its redemption by the
public "in nickels, dimes and $1,000
bills" to convert the estate into a
monument to Monroe.
Sl,0OO,000 Bid Sought.
Mr.. Wright drew nothing but
stony silence when he opened the
auction by asking $1,000, 900 for the
property.
He had scaled it down to $3.50 900
when David Rust, jr., of Leesburg,
holder of a first trust OF Sl66,00O
on the estate, offered 100000 Mr..
DeLashmutt moved it to $205 900
and it stuck there more than a
half hour while the auctioneer
gave the crowd "a chance to think
it over"
According to Howard w. Smith,
ir.. of Alexandria, one of the
trustees, there were II names on
his list of prospective bidders when
the auction started.
One was Dr.. G. H. Lightner OF
Hawaii. a native Virginian, but he
made no bid.
Littlet0n Has Confidence.
A third bid was made by Richard
H. Hutchison. jr., of Laurel Park
Farm and president of the Laurel
RaceWay, who bid S206,000 Alter
mating bids by Mr.. DeLashmutt and
Mr.. Hutchison moved the price to
s21700O when the contractors offer
moved to the final s22O,000 figure.
Mr.. Smith said the sale is not
complete and may have to be ap-
proved by the court because of the
question of total Indebtedness. He
explained that such approval is
necessary if the sale price is less
than IS per cent of the total obliga-
tons to be met Besides the Sl66,0O0
first trust there are interest, court
costs and other items to be paid.
Mr.. Littleton. who has lived alone
in the mansion for years, can re-
gain possession by paying the
amount of the successful bid. His
attorney. Robert H. Mcneil, of
Washington. said Mr. Littleton had
new confidence of redeeming the
estate.
He is reported to have rejected an
offer of more than 100000 for the
property more than q decade ago.