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See $4 million iconic Buford mansion

It’s a home that has hosted presidents, musical stars, actors, and dozens of other famous faces. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. And now, it’s for sale.

The Bona Allen estate in Buford was built in 1911. It was designed by Georgia architect Haralson Bleckley and built by T.C. Wesley and Sons. The Bona Allen Company operated a tannery and leather factory that became one of the country’s top producers of cowboy boots, saddles, and similar equipment. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that the tannery even supplied Roy Rogers and the cast of Bonanza with much of their equipment for the show.

Steve and Dawn Siebold currently own the property. They purchased it in 2015 to house their company’s consulting headquarters but converted it to their home following the pandemic.

“Its grandeur (is what we’ll miss the most),” Steve Siebold told WSB-TV’s Nelson Hicks. “This estate is less of a home and more of a palace. We’ll miss that.”

The estate includes the 9,000-square-foot main house, the 1,200-square-foot gym, a tennis lodge with a guest house, and a stadium tennis court.

“We’ve had nothing but great times here. We feel honored to have added the stadium tennis court to the property, as well as making a substantial investment in renovations. This mansion is on the national historic register, and in that way, it belongs to the ages,” Siebold said.

It’s listed for $4 million. Beth Mitchell with Atlanta Fine Homes/Sotheby’s has the listing.

“The history and stories from hundreds of locals who have shared their experiences growing up near the mansion (intrigues us the most about the estate),” Siebold noted. “In eight years, we’ve never heard a bad story about the Allen family, the Mansion of the Bona Allen Company. Everyone loves to share their story, and it’s been wonderful to experience the history of the mansion through their eyes.”

President Teddy Roosevelt, opera star Enrico Caruso, actor James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on “Gunsmoke,” actor Roy Rogers, and his wife, actress and singer Dale Evans are among the famous guests who have visited the Bona Allen estate.

Siebold has some advice for the next owner.

“I’d only ask that they consider treating the mansion as the piece of Atlanta and U.S. history that it is,” he said. “Even though we’ve owned it for eight years, we’ve always felt as though we were simply the current custodians. As our architectural consultant, Sam Harris, advised us from day one, the mansion was built as a world-class structure and will likely stand for hundreds of years. We tried to maintain as much of the original floors, woodwork, structures, and even the magnificent mural that adorns the ballroom. Odds are that many more families will inhabit this incredible property over the coming centuries, and I only ask that they consider that as they make it their own.”

The property is in the heart of Buford, within walking distance of the amphitheater, shops, and restaurants.

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