Manuka Estate was modeled after George and Martha Washington’s home in northern Virginia
A replica of the estate of the first US president, George Washington, intended for an upcoming television production, has sold under the hammer for $2.55 million.
Majirabo’s Georgian-style mansion was built in 2004 to mimic the facade of historic Mount Vernon, the Northern Virginia home of America’s Founding Fathers and his wife Martha.
Spread over 3.6 hectares and named The Manuka Estate, the property at 3 Manuka Rd was marketed by Alex and Victoria Fleury of Amir Prestige and was viewed by production company Netflix.
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Marine One approaches the Mount Vernon Historic Estate
MORE NEWS
New land tax: less rent, sharp rise in rent
The villas of the Nielsen brothers, legends of surfing, are coming on the market
Mr Fleury said the auction attracted four registered bidders, with three more conditional buyers hoping to purchase the unique seven-bedroom, three-bathroom residence.
Auctioneer David Holmes posted an opening bid of $1.8 million, followed by closed-door negotiations between the highest bidder and the board of owners before the auction resumed and the property was put on the market for 2, 55 million dollars.
Mr Fleury said the buyer was a local dentist and his wife, who have four children.
“They’ve outgrown their current property and need room for the kids to grow up,” Mr Fleury said.
“They want to modernize the house a bit, although they have embraced its unique architectural style, and they also plan to get goats and maybe a couple of horses to clear some of the grounds.”
The property is located in the middle of a sprawling area
The home’s presidential style includes a bold Brintons Axminster carpet, porcelain tiles and statement columns.
The layout includes a mix of formal and relaxed living areas, as well as a cinema room and study with a navy carpet and paneled ceiling.
A wide staircase leads upstairs where there are six large bedrooms and the seventh or guest bedroom is located on the first floor.
Outside, a spacious alfresco entertaining area overlooks the saltwater swimming pool and there is also a two bedroom cottage in the grounds.
“Presidential”?
Mr Fleury, who is also a professional actor, said the gate and long driveway surrounded by a hedge caught the attention of producers as a potential location for a scene at the boarding school.
He said the vendors were the board of directors, which abandoned plans to open a Steiner school on the site, opting instead to secure a larger property to meet demand for the proposed independent school.
