White House replica in Hillsborough being sold for $38.9M
"Western White House" in Hillsborough, Calif., was purchased by George Hearst who commissioned Julia Morgan in 1930 to remodel it as a White House replica. It's now being sold for $38.9M. ("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
HILLSBOROUGH, Calif. - It was designed as a replica of the White House, a sprawling 24,000 acre, four-level historic home in Hillsborough, and it’s now on the market, being sold for $38.9 million.
The home was remodeled by mining and publishing tycoon George Hearst who purchased it and in 1930 commissioned Julia Morgan to redesign it to replicate 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Known as the "Western White House," the home is located at 401 El Cerrito Avenue nestled on a private three acre wooded property surrounded by a creek in the Hillsborough Heights area of Lower South Hillsborough.
Western White House in Hillsborough, Calif. sits on a 3 acre property, nestled among trees and surrounded by a creek.
The front portico with its towering columns recreates the distinctive look of the Executive Mansion’s South Portico, one of the most defining architectural features of the presidential residence.
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The home has 11 bedrooms, nine full bathrooms and five half-baths. It also features a cascading main staircase and an elevator.
"Western White House" in Hillsborough, Calif. has four levels, 11 bedrooms, nine full baths, and five half baths. ("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
The $38.9M Hillsborough home has 11 baths and 5 half baths. ("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
The main level, with a formal entry parlor, is where the replica "East Room" and "Oval Office" are located. There’s also a formal dining room, a gourmet kitchen, breakfast room, and family room.
"Western White House" in Hillsborough, Calif. ("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
The upper-level includes five-bedroom suites, an executive office, and an additional sixth bedroom.
The $38.9M home has 11 bedrooms. ("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
The very top level features a recreation room, a home theater, as well as another bedroom suite.
The house has a lower level "staff quarters," which includes another family room, a lounge, wine cellar, and laundry center.
The property also boasts a refinished swimming pool with a hot tub and a pool pavilion complete with a sauna-bath and a full kitchen.
("Brian Kitts Visuals / @BrianKitts")
The house, which was being listed by Pierre and Alex Buljan of Compass Real Estate, was actually purchased last year to a longtime neighbor of the home, Mehrsad Elie, who bought it for $15 million from the previous owners. Agents said Elie put millions of dollars into updating the mansion while trying to restore its agricultural integrity.
"The current owners have refreshed the interiors with new fixtures and appliances to retain the original architectural detail while bringing the home into the 21st century," Compass said.
Elie found the home to be too large for his family of four, so he put the home on the market "hugely improved and ready for a buyer seeking a trophy property," the real estate company said.
Compass noted that the rich history of the "Western White House" was an essential feature of the home, with its sale an opportunity to share its significance as part of Hillsborough's history.
"This property is a historic jewel for the Town of Hillsborough," said agent Alex Buljan, "and I think it’s really important to make the history as well known as possible."
Aerial view of 401 El Cerrito Avenue in Hillsborough, Calif. The property is on the market for $38.9M.