The mysterious owners of the historic Pease Mansion in Austin got the OK to renovate the historical landmark home, but city officials are frustrated that the owners haven’t identified themselves.
The Historic Landmark Commission, which reviews plans to renovate historic properties, approved extensive plans to expand and revitalize the pre-Civil War mansion, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The property owners have taken painstaking steps to keep their identity a secret from everyone — including the previous owners — since purchasing the property in June 2021.
“I know all of us would like to know just because this is such a huge part of Austin’s history, such a prominent site, and inquiring minds want to know,” Terri Myers, the commission’s chair, said at a meeting. Property records only show the owner is a limited liability company called Dix Hills Paradise.
Rumors as to who the mysterious new owner could be have included rapper 50 Cent and Elon Musk’s brother Kimbal, but nothing has been confirmed.
Emily Little, a historical preservation consultant involved with the project, said she and others have signed nondisclosure agreements to not name the owner. Despite the NDAs, Little said she still has no idea who the owner is.
“We don’t know who the owners are either and I’ve just come to accept that I don’t know if we ever will,” Little told the outlet. “We celebrate the people who lived there, but we’re in different times now, and security and privacy are of the utmost importance to these owners.”
The 8,000-square-foot mansion, also known as Woodlawn, sits on just under 4 acres at 1606 Niles Road. Austin master builder Abner H. Cook completed the home in the 1850s and the first resident was former state comptroller James B. Shaw. Gov. Elisha Marshall Pease bought the home a few years after it was completed and it remained in the Pease family until 1957.
Ultimately landing in the hands of the state, the mansion was listed for $3 million and sold to oil and gas entrepreneur Jeff Sandefer in the early 2000s, after both George W. Bush and Rick Perry didn’t want to use it as the Governor’s Mansion.
Speaking of mysteries, the Greek commune from “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was recently listed on Zillow for $450 million. Alas, the listing was just a marketing ploy to get people to watch the Netflix movie featuring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, the world’s greatest detective.
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