Evening star., 1948-09-03
Arlington Man
.Buys0ak Hill
For $4,000
Thomas De Lushmutt
Acquires Monroe's
Estate at Auction
BY O Stor Stoff Correspondent

LEEsBURG, Va, Sept. Soak
Hill, owned by proud Virginian
who once refused 100000 for it
because of dreams of making it a
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
600-acre Evergreen Farm, 7 miles
south of Oak Hill.
His bid for the historic mansion
where President Monroe shaped
the Monroe Doctrine, was made as
a crowd of 300 or more stood patient
ly around the mansions north facade
more than an nour while Auctioneer
Robert L. Wright of Lovettsville,
Va, pleaded for higher price.
Plans Stock Farm.
Mr.. DeLashmutt plans to re-de-
velop the 1725-acre estate on the
northern fringes of Bull Run Noun
tain into a stock farm and to use
the mansion which Thomas Jener-
son designed as a home for his wife
and three children.
While the desultory bids came
from the crowd, Owner Frank c..
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 has 90
days 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, 6115 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 lin nickels, dimes and ST 900
bills to convert the estate into a
monument to Monroe.
S1,000,000 Bid Sought.
Mr.. Wright drew nothing but
stony silence when he opened the
auction by asking sl,OOOO0O for the
property.
He had scaled it down to S25O,0OO
when David Rust, jr., of Leesburg,
holder Of a first trust of S166,0O0
on the estate, offered 100000. Mr..
DeLashmutt moved it to $2O5 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,
jr., of Alexandria, one of the
trustees, there were IL names on
his list of prospective bidders when
the auction started.
One was DR.. G. H. Lightner of
Hawaii, a native Virglnian, but he
made no bid.
Littleton Has Confidence.
A third bid was made by Richard
H. Hutchison, jr, of Laurel Park
Farm and president of the Laurel
RaceWay, who bid $206,0OO. Alter
mating bids by Mr.. DeLashmutt and
Mr. Hutchison moved the price to
s2l7,000 when the contractors offer
moved to the final $220,000 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 rs per cent of the total obliga-
lions to be met. Besides the $l66,000
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. McNeill, 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 a decade ago.