Replica of Jefferson's Monticello home goes up for auction

SOMERS, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut home that is a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is about to go on the auction block.

The sale of the 10,000-square-foot home in Somers is set for Tuesday.

The co-founder of the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Friendly's restaurant chain had the house built for $7.7 million in 2014 ahead of his 100th birthday. No one has ever lived in the home, and it failed to sell for a reduced listing price of $4.9 million.

S. Prestley Blake had the home built because he's a fan of Jefferson. Jefferson's Monticello was built over 28 years in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The copycat home mimics the original from the outside but has an updated interior that includes an elevator, gourmet kitchen and lights and heating that can be controlled from a phone app.