Buyer of Monticello replica a history buff, like 1st owner

SOMERS, Conn. (AP) - A doctor who bought a Connecticut home that's a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello says he's a history buff and an admirer of the Founding Fathers.

Dr. John Papale lives in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He made the high bid of $2.1 million for the home in nearby Somers at auction this week.

He tells the Hartford Courant newspaper (http://cour.at/1VC1AGf ) he plans on moving his family into the home this year.

He first saw the interior of the 10,000-square-foot mansion at a charity event a month ago and visited several more times.

Friendly's restaurant chain co-founder S. Prestley Blake is a longtime admirer of Jefferson and had the home built for $7.7 million in 2014 just before his 100th birthday.

Papale says he's inspired to see the real Monticello in Virginia.

___

Information from: Hartford Courant, http://www.courant.com