Mount Vernon, the Former H.L. Hunt Estate, Is Back on the Market

The former H.L. Hunt estate, which sits on 10 beautiful acres fronting White Rock Lake, is back on the market. The Georgian Colonial was completed in 1930 as an almost exact replica of Mount Vernon, the former residence of President George Washington.

Hunt, a true Texas legend, was an oil tycoon who had 15 children across three wives and was once considered to be the wealthiest man in the United States. He lived at “Mount Vernon” until his death in 1974. His widow, Ruth Ray Hunt, remained in the home until her passing in 1999, and the family retained ownership of the estate until it was purchased in 2003 by Theresa and John Amend.

The first time the home was listed to my knowledge was in 2011. With their kids long grown and flown, the 10,702-square-foot home was basically over serving the Amends’ needs. However, back in 2011, the super luxury market was only just beginning to recover from the 2008 housing collapse. So, it was not particularly surprising that the estate — which was then listed for $24.9 million — didn’t find a buyer, and it wasn’t like the Amends particularly needed to sell. John is the founder and president of The Amend Group, a very successful commercial real estate company.

It’s a perfect family home with five bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, and every amenity you can dream up, including climate-controlled storage for 10,000 bottles of wine, a gym, and an elevator to whisk you between the three floors.

The Amends made some impressive additions to the estate. They added a massive two-story guest house with a professional four-lane bowling alley on the first floor. It’s rumored to be one of the largest, best-equipped private bowling alleys in America. John’s company built it, and Neiman Marcus persuaded him to offer the construction of a similar bowling center in their famous Christmas catalog as one of the extravagant “his-and-her” gifts.

The Amends also added a glamorous 16-car garage because they are sensible people and wanted it to serve as an event space as well. Of course, you can also turn it into a basketball court. Ahem, someone must be looking out for the perfect home for Cooper Flagg, right?
 

The grounds of Mount Vernon are incomparable, with specimen live oak and pecan trees that the Hunt family planted over 80 years ago. Then, there are the breathtaking views of White Rock Lake, along with all the outdoor amenities, including a heated pool, tennis court, putting green, and a fantastic outdoor kitchen featuring a professional pizza oven.

Mount Vernon has been on and off the market more times than I can count. There have been plenty of offers. However, it’s not easy to let go when you love a home. The Amends fell in love with it on their first date decades ago when they were in high school at Woodrow Wilson and drove by, fantasizing the estate might one day be theirs. Dreams do come true, and the Amends evolved from having kids who loved it to having grandkids who love it. I don’t know about you, but I’d find that hard to give up, even if it were just me living there!

However, finding an estate property of this size just 10 minutes from downtown is unheard of. This is one of the last remaining legacy properties in Dallas, and we now have a much broader luxury buyer base in our fair city that understands the value of this home. I think this may be the year the Amends are truly finally ready to let it go and Mount Vernon finds a new family that will love it as much as the previous two have.

Allie Beth Allman has Mount Vernon (4009 W. Lawther Dr.) available for $19.95 million.

Be sure to check out this video promoting the property!