Some properties demand follow-up, not because the news has changed, but because their presence on the market means something. The home at 4009 W. Lawther Dr. is one of those listings. Karen Eubank first spotlighted it back in July 2025 when Allie Beth Allman (the Realtor, not the eponymous brokerage) brought the 10-acre property to market for $19.95 million.
No ordinary mansion, this is billionaire oil tycoon H.L. Hunt’s famous Mount Vernon. He had it modeled after George Washington’s historic home in Virginia — complete with a cupola that’s topped by the dove of peace.
When the legendary oilman moved into the grand estate in 1938, the transaction famously included two peacocks, some chickens, a cow, and a calf. Decades later, White Rock Lake Weekly noted that a flock of 60 peafowls still thrive at nearby White Rock Stables — perhaps distant descendants of Hunt’s birds.
Hunt cherished “Mount Vernon” until his death in 1974. His widow, Ruth Ray Hunt, remained in the home until her passing in 1999, and the family retained ownership of the estate until it was purchased in 2003 by Theresa and John Amend.
The Amends actually first fell in love with the estate when they were teenagers at Woodrow Wilson High School. They drove by the grand white house on their first date and dreamed of living there. Their dreams came true, and the Amends have made some impressive additions to the estate ever since.
They added a massive two-story guest house with a professional four-lane bowling alley on the first floor. It’s rumored to be one of the largest, best-equipped private bowling alleys in America. John’s company built it, and Neiman Marcus persuaded him to offer the construction of a similar bowling center in their famous Christmas catalog as one of the extravagant “his-and-her” gifts.
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