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A Replica of Jefferson's Monticello Is Going Up for Auction — Here's How Much the 10,000 Square Foot House Could Sell For
A photo taken on February 5, 2014 shows Monticello, the residence of one of the US Founding Fathers, former US President and one of the United States earliest envoys to France Thomas Jefferson. To mark the historic partnership between the US and France, US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande will tour Monticello on February 10,2014 as part of the forthcoming State Visit by the French president. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

A Replica of Jefferson's Monticello Is Going Up for Auction — Here's How Much the 10,000 Square Foot House Could Sell For

"We think the bidding will be vigorous."

SOMERS, Conn. (TheBlaze/AP) -- 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.

The co-founder of 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.

S. Prestley Blake had the home built because he's a fan of Jefferson. Jefferson's Monticello was built over 28 years in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The copycat home 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.

Blake said he also plans to install a plaque with a quote engraved in it. The quote is from a letter Jefferson wrote to George Gilmer in 1787, MassLive reported.

"I am as happy no where else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello," the excerpt reads.

Jack Hoyt, who is the project manager for the house that's being auctioned, said he wants to have some bids before the auction even begins.

"We think the bidding will be vigorous," Hoyt added.

It is believed that Jefferson himself spent about $100,461 over 28 years to build the estate. That's equal to roughly $1.3 million in today's dollars.

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