What was once the most expensive home in Mississippi was lost to a fire this week, the largest blaze local firefighters say they’ve ever seen. It’s a sad end for the historic home in Pass Christian, known locally as the Monroe house.
The sprawling mansion was built in 1963 by J. Edgar Monroe, a New Orleans businessman.
The design of the grand estate along the Gulf of Mexico was inspired by the Monroe family’s summer home in Rhode Island. His Newport estate, named Rosecliff, was so fabulous it was featured in the 1974 film version of “The Great Gatsby.”
Three decades after it was built, the Monroe house was purchased by Charles Ramsey, who added two wings to create an enormous family compound. Ramsey ultimately tripled the square footage of the original estate, resulting in a 15-bedroom home sitting on nearly 8 acres along the Gulf—until Monday.
Ultimately it was the house’s design and heavy timber building material that fed the flames that consumed the property. It was declared a “total loss” by local fire officials, according to local news station WLOX. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fire still burning inside historic Pass Christian home https://t.co/YaXOXNdEW5 — WLOX (@WLOX) August 5, 2019
The mansion had bounced on and off the market since 2011, when it was first listed for $15 million. The price was cut to $12.5 million in 2014, and most recently it was listed for $6.5 million. Even with these massive deductions, the estate remained at the top of the list of most expensive Mississippi residential real estate.
Here’s a look at the Monroe house before the devastating fire.
Entry
Formal living room
Bar
Game room
Ocean view
Pool
With the iconic Monroe mansion up in smoke, the title of most expensive house in the Magnolia State now passes to another home: a 420-acre country estate on the market for $6 million in the center of the state, in Flora.
The Flora estate includes a 7,400-square-foot mansion and a 6,000-square-foot, four-bedroom second home with wine cellar, caretaker’s lodge, and barn and horse riding area, all behind a gated entrance.
Flora, MS
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Source: Housing Trends Feed