The Tuleyries, a 168-acre estate with a 10,000-square-foot, circa 1833 home is listed for sale to the highest bidder by Torrence, Read and Forehand Auctions, a firm from Forest, Va., hired by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
“There's not a minimum bid,” says Micah Torrence, head auctioneer and director of marketing for the company. “It's just subject to bankruptcy court approval, so we'll hold the auction and then we submit the high bid purchase contract to the court.”
“In all our years, I don’t remember one (high bid) that was not accepted,” he added.
He also says that they’ve had some amazing listings over the 30-plus years they’ve been in business, but The Tuleyries is probably the most spectacular historical home they’ve ever auctioned off.
“We did over 8,000 acres last year,” says Stacey Torrence, Auction and Marketing Specialist, Realtor, and Micah’s wife. “The history and charm of this house is definitely in the top five of what we’ve had before.”
Also notable, according to Stacey, are the modern upgrades.
According to auction documents, in the early 1990s the home underwent a thorough restoration by John Milner Architects, Inc. that included reinforcing the structure with steel beams.
“The Wilsons, who were the prior owners, did a $3.5 million renovation and were set to move back in and then Mrs. Wilson’s husband died and she never moved back in,” says Stacey.
The most recent owners’ upgrades have been heating and cooling, gutter systems and the electrical – “some of the guts of the home” according to Stacey.
“When I do the tours, I always show people the guts of the home because I find that to be interesting. You can see where the house has been supported by steelwork. You can see the evolution down in the basement of going from the wood hot water heater to the coal hot water heater to the modern hot water heater. You can see the brand new heating and air units that are up in the attic. You can see all these upgrades but you can also see how they were done while still respecting the property.”
According to the listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate was formed circa 1833 by Joseph Tuley, Jr., who inherited a fortune amassed by his father in the tanning business. The name “The Tuleyries” alludes to the French royal palace – the “Tuileries” – and a play on his own name, Tuley.
The late Federal brick mansion features a Corinthian portico, an interior domed entrance, a sweeping curved stairway and is topped by a copper-domed, windowed cupola that allows for spectacular views of surrounding farms and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Other buildings on the property include a unique gatehouse with porter’s lodge, an old forge, smokehouse, carriage house, stable and barns. A boxwood maze adds a storybook quality to the park-like grounds.
After Tuley’s death the property was acquired by Upton Boyce, an attorney for the Norfolk and Western Railway.
In 1903 it was purchased by Graham F. Blandy of New York. Blandy restored the estate and acquired adjoining acreage. He raised prize-winning cattle, grew apples and peaches, harvested hay and planted hundreds of trees.
Upon Blandy’s death in 1926, he bequeathed 712 acres to the University of Virginia creating what is now Blandy Experimental Farm and the State Arboretum of Virginia.
The house was restored in the late 1980s by the diplomat Orme Wilson, Jr., Blandy’s nephew by marriage.
The most recent owners are listed as “The Tuleyries Land Holdings, LLC.”
Stacey hopes the new owners will continue to treat the house with the care that previous owners have shown.
“This house is in immaculate condition,” she says. “Everything is modern yet still respecting the history of the home. It’s a beautiful marriage.”
Interested in bidding?
The auction is scheduled to be held onsite at 136 Tuleyries Lane in Boyce on Friday, Sept. 29 at 12:30 p.m. Also up for auction at that time will be the adjacent Westfield Farm, a 237-acre equestrian estate.
The property will sell as-is with no warranties. Bids will only be accepted from registered bidders. On-site registration begins at 11:30 a.m. on the day of the sale.
You can pre-register by going to www.trfauctions.com. Deadline for phone and online bidding registration is 6 p.m. on the day prior to the auction. A valid form of identification (i.e. driver's license) may be required to register onsite or online.
A 6% buyer's premium will be added to the high bid to determine the final sales price.
A deposit equal to 10% of the final contract price (the bid price plus the buyer's premium) is due on the day of sale by cash or check. Online bidders may overnight deposit or wire transfer funds.
The balance of the purchase price is due at closing which must be no later than 30 days after court approval.
