Missouri's Guitar Mansion Sold: to 'Surprised Bidder'

"Historic Guitar Mansion sold to surprised bidder"
Columbia Missourian (October 18, 2010)

"It is more than an old home. The Guitar Mansion has survived the Civil War and other historical sea changes. It has gone through care and bustle, neglect and vacancy. It has been a family home, a business and a bed and breakfast.

"And it will remain standing.

"In a public auction on Monday, run by United Country Auction Services, the Guitar Mansion and six acres surrounding it on Oakland Gravel Road were sold for $155,500 to Elena Vega of Columbia, who outbid interested people from all over the country.

"Vega hadn't come to the auction to bid, however. She came to watch - a lover of historical homes who wanted a last look at a piece of Columbia history...."


(from Taylor Glascock, via Columbia Missourian, used w/o permission)
"Prospective bidders gather in front of the Guitar Mansion on Monday. A former bed and breakfast, the Civil War-era property drew bidders from all over Missouri. The property sold for $155,500."

The Guitar Mansion's current owner came to take photos, now buy a house - so this might be an example of auction fever. Or, not. Bidding started low, according to the article: so maybe Vega was jumping at an unexpected opportunity.

In a way, $155,500 is a bargain price. The article says that a previous owner put about three quarters of a million dollars into renovating the place to be a bed and breakfast. $155,500/$750,000? Not bad.

The name of the house doesn't have to do with music - at least, not directly. This article, and another, say that someone named David Guitar built the place in 1862. There's a bit of a story about the Guitar family, too: 'a house divided' and all that. The War Between the States was a messy business.

The Lemming did a little checking, and wouldn't you know it? The Guitar Mansion's Registration Form for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places is online.

More, in the news:

• "Historic Guitar Mansion to go on auction block"
  T.J. Greaney, The Columbia Daily Tribune (September 12, 2010)