One of Chattanooga’s oldest mansions has a new owner.
Dr. Glenn Boyd and his wife, Tracey, celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary Thursday night with a winning bid of just over $1 million to buy the historic “Windcrest” home on Missionary Ridge.
The Boyds, who already own historic homes in Dalton, Ga., and North Chattanooga – along with a vacation home in Highlands, N.C. – said they almost didn’t even come to Thursday’s auction.
“We did not really decide to come until about 4:30 p.m. (90 minutes before the auction start),” Tracey Boyd said. “But we love older homes and this is a special place.”
The Boyds, who offered the winning bid of $916,000 plus a 10 percent commission, outbid a number of other interested buyers, finally topping the last offer from Donnie Hutcherson, a Chattanooga accountant who also lives on Missionary Ridge.
Tracey Boyd said she expects to sell their 121-year-old historic Greek revival home in Dalton, Ga., where Dr. Boyd is a practicing internist at Hamilton Medical hospital. The couple decided to move to Chattanooga when they retire so they originally bought the Walsh mansion on Stringer’s Ridge seven years ago. That home in North Chattanooga was built in 1920.
The Boyds first saw the Windcrest mansion years ago when they were looking at artwork done for the owners of the house.
“Glenn immediately fell in love with this house, and because we feel so strongly about conservation, we didn’t want to see it go to development,” Mrs. Boyd said.
Built in 1894 for industrialist W. Frank Hutcheson, the 10,954-square-foot Windcrest mansion was designed by noted architect Samuel Patton and has been owned over the past 122 years by only three families.
The seven-bedroom home was built before automobiles and indoor plumbing, but has been upgraded and maintained through the years. A swimming pool was added in 1987. The property still includes a carriage house originally used to house horses.
For the past 33 years the house was owned by Dr. Dennis Stohler, a retired orthopedic surgeon, and his wife, Constance, who raised their five children in the home.
“It’s time for someone else to own this wonderful home and I hope they will love this home as much as we have,” a tearful Constance Stohler told bidders just before the auction. “There are a lot of gorgeous homes in this city, but there is not any other like this home. There is nothing like it and there never will be.”
Henry Glascock, who was hired to conduct Thursday’s auction of the property, agreed that the property is unique in its design, history and scenic overlook of the city.
“It’s really a work of art as much as it is a home,” he said.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.