Rockcliffe Mansion is (still/again) Up For Sale

It is difficult for me to admit this, but Ken and I had nearly given up hope.

When the contract for the purchase of Rockcliffe by James and Robin Gillette was accepted by the bankruptcy court in Louisiana on November 2, we were prepared to accept the fact that Rockcliffe was not in our future.

However, we always had a sliver of hope -- the Gillettes had until November 19th to inspect the property and, if they were concerned with the results, they could back out of their purchase contract without penalty.

We scarcely allowed ourselves to believe this was possible, but lo and behold, the Gillettes' contract was dropped yesterday (November 20) after the bankruptcy trustee would not agree to extend their inspection period.

This means the sale of Rockcliffe Mansion begins from scratch -- back to square one -- and we have the opportunity once again to present the court with a purchase contract. Mr. Gillette can also put in a new contract, or, for that matter, any potential buyer can submit a contract. May the best contract win.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR INVESTORS! Just as the original three couples who saved Rockcliffe from demolition did back in 1967, we hope to find others who are interested in preserving Rockcliffe as a museum, investors who can raise the funds to buy the property from the bankruptcy court and make necessary repairs to preserve the property. (By the way, we take exception to Mr. Gillette's claim that Rockcliffe is in "deplorable condition" and requires more than $1 Million to "renovate" the property; in fact, we hired a well-respected building inspector to do a thorough inspection of Rockcliffe on September 18, 2009, and have a detailed 24-page report that finds the building is structurally sound with no major renovation required, only localized restoration is necessary. In addition, the boiler that connects to all of the Mansion's original radiators, which still function perfectly, passed inspection in October 2009 with no repair required. Rockcliffe also passed all fire and building inspections from the City of Hannibal in October 2009 and has been given a business license/occupancy permit that is valid through June, 2010. Any interested parties are welcome to review the inspection reports).

It is our hope that Ken and I would be allowed to be a part of Rockcliffe's future, to assist in managing and preserving the museum. Although we currently live in the mansion (taking up only the office for our personal belongings), we are also willing to live offsite. But as we've said all along, this isn't about us; it is about saving the Mansion, preserving its architecture, artifacts, and antiques, and keeping it open to the public as a museum of the history of American life in Hannibal c1900. PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN ROCKCLIFFE'S FUTURE!!!

Meanwhile, while this drama unfolds, the trustee of the bankruptcy court has allowed Ken and I to extend our lease on Rockcliffe through the end of December. Therefore, we will continue to be open for tours daily from 10am to 4pm (except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day). Or, you may want to spend the night in the mansion, we have four B&B rooms available, with wine and cheese at check-in and a three course gourmet breakfast. We are also able to book special events -- we have a special wedding planned for January 2nd for a dear couple from Quincy -- so if you'd like to host a holiday party at the mansion, feel free to call and reserve the date, we will provide a wide range of services to make your event special!

As always, thank you for your continued support. Lisa Marks