There's an easy way to tell that Dr. John Papale is a fan of the Founding Fathers: He just bought a home that's a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
The Longmeadow, Mass., eye surgeon and history buff bid $2.1 million for the Somers, Conn., home built by Friendly's restaurant chain co-founder S. Prestley Blake. Blake, a longtime admirer of the third president, built the house in 2014 for $7.7 million just before 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.
Papale told the Hartford Courant newspaper he plans on moving his family into the home this year. He first saw the interior of the 10,000-square-foot mansion at a charity event a month ago and visited several more times.
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.
“When I went in for the first time, I was impressed by how much work and detail went into the house under Mr. Blake's guidance,” Papale, who has a practice in Springfield, Mass., told the Courant. “He had a fantastic vision, and it was something I could really appreciate.”
