Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-29

tNeetS W HNoYo bNS0SSs NQag A-&N
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the dust before he bought it.
would, no doubt, have shocked
Robert E. Lee, one of several
distinguished Americans who oc.
cupied the 173-year-old land
mark.
The new owner, Robert Val
entine New, 52-year-old illegal
resident" of Cheyenne, Wyo.,
says he may turn the place into
la headquarters for the Nations
IpSychiatrists. But if he does
the mind-doctors will have to
operate without benefit OF
plumbing. because he plans to
restore it to its original state.
Until today, the identity of the
mystery man" who bought the
stored red brick structure at 22C
North Washington street several
weeks ago had been a secret. All
that was known was that lie had
put up $132, 500 a few hours be-
fore it was due to be torn down
for lack of a purchaser. That
impending calamity had thrown
Alexandrians and other history
minded persons into an uproar.
Bought "Sight Unseen"
Mr.. New, arriving in WASH
ington to take a look st his &C
QUESTION, said today he bought
the place, sight unseen, !"
through an agent. He said when
he was here on a business trip
recently he read in The Star of
its impending demolition and lit
Just made me sick"
A student of American an
tiquity for many years." Mr..
New said II see the foundation
thinking on which this country
was built being destroyed, and
the Lloyd House is just a symbol
of that"
Mr.. New paid cash for the
place. In his Washington hotel
room today, before crossing the
river to Alexandria to inspect his
new property, he roared with
laughter when a reporter asked
If he had put a mortgage on
the house.
II have no mortgages. l have
no debts" he said.
Mr.. New is a self-made man
he explained, Who-Started in the
California oil fields "bossing a
lpick-and-shovel gang" BY the
time he was IS, he had made his
first million. land how many mil
lions I'm worth today-how dc
you tell a thing like that?"
He has homes and business
interests all over the country, he
said. 1--WE got stuff spread all
around to hell and gone" Some
of his enterprises have included
oil, gas, steel, motors, he said.
1--WE owned some factories
around" he said. II buy EN- and
sell 'em.
Living In Pasadena
Although his legal residence is
in Cheyenne, he has been living
in a home at Pasadena, Calf.
Recently, he bought a new place
in Wilmington, DEL, and will
move in there soon.
The new house reflects his
interest in Americana, he said.
1t is one of the two. genuine
copies of Mount Vernon in the
United States" How accurate a
copy? Its a little bigger, I'm
afraid" he said. The other copy
is the property of fellow Gilman
H. L. Hunt in Dallas, Tex.
A big man who smokes hand
made cigars chain style, Mr.. New
says he had tried several times
to buy other historic homes in
Virginia. but without success.
His only interest, he says, was
in preserving them.
II hate to see the symbols of
the foundation Of this country
go down the drain. This coun-
try was built on CUTS and enter
lprise-think of the work that
went into those old homes-and
we're losing a lot Of 1t. Our
history is being destroyed one
piece at a time"
Checked Before Sale
Il read about this Lloyd house
and it made me sick. sent a
couple Of experts out there. One
of them said the place was an
outstanding example Of Georgian
architecture. The other. a real
estate man, said II I bought the
place at the asking price and
the house fell down the next day.
i could get my money out Of
the property alone"
Now that he has the place,
Mr.. New is full Of ideas about
what to do with It. The FIRST
thing. he says. is TO get in archi-
tectural experts and have 1t COM
pletely restored TO its original
form.
After that. his plans are not
definite. He is thinking Of sew
eral alternatives. One would be
to make the house a museum.
Another would be to make 1t
the headquarters OF a new
foundation TO save historic
places. There are such founds-
tons now. Mr.. New says, but
none Of them has any money.
This one would have money and
would cooperate with local
foundations In saving old
houses"
He might stage a big money
raising drive" Mr.. New says.
you could charge 10 cents or
rs cents and get every student
in America, from kindergarten
through the Pr. DIS 10 ioiu III