The Plantation House From Gone With the Wind Is up for Auction

Unlike the fictional Twelve Oaks, the mansion's real life inspiration survived Sherman

The real-life Twelve Oaks is for sale
The real-life Twelve Oaks is for sale
Targe Auction

You can now live out your Scarlett O’Hara fantasy in the real-life mansion that appeared in the classic 1939 film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. The iconic 19th-century estate is up for auction in Covington, Georgia, CBS News reported.

The instantly recognizable white-columned home appeared in the film as the stately plantation house of Ashley Wilkes, where Scarlett first meets infamous anti-hero Rhett Butler at a lavish, pre-war barbecue. According to the house’s website, Mitchell selected the home for the film herself after seeing a picture of it in the Atlanta Journal. The author reportedly sent the photo to the film’s production team, saying, “I like this for Ashley’s home.”

The sprawling 19th-century mansion has changed hands multiple times since it was first built as a town house for wealthy plantation-owner Judge John Harris in 1936. Now renamed Twelve Oaks after the fictional plantation house it inspired, the mansion operated as a bed and breakfast from 2012 to 2018.

According to Target Auction Company, the classic antebellum home features more than 10,000 square feet of newly-renovated space thanks to a $2 million renovation in 2017 that outfitted the mansion with new appliances and high end features. The renovated property boasts 12 bedrooms and 12-and-a-half bathrooms — two of which feature bathtubs valued at over $14,000 each — as well as a pool, 12 fireplaces, 3 acres of gardens, a historic gazebo and a full chef’s kitchen. A true testament to the house’s excellent mix of modern amenities and old southern charm, the property includes a 4-car carriage house as well as Tesla and Copper Creek charging stations.

“We feel we’ve accomplished what we set out to do and we are ready to start a new adventure,” said the owner of Twelve Oaks in a press release. “This was a dream of mine and we feel we achieved it beyond our imaginations.”

A live auction will take place on July 25, with the starting bid at $1 million.

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