Levy Lions discovered at Little Biltmore in North Carolina

The Levy Lions with Shields gazing down on tiered gardens.

My mother recently told me that when I was a little girl I loved to put together puzzles (something that I still enjoy). I also love suspense and surprises, so searching for the Levy Lions was a fascination. When I began my quest to find the Levy Lion statues I never dreamed that it would take 5 years to track down 4 massive lion statues. I began to fear the worst as time has a way of eroding and destroying history. In the early 1900's Charlottesville photographer Rufus Holsinger photographed the lion statues many times, over many years, at Monticello. Big, heavy statues don't just disappear.

Amazing manes make this pair unique.

If you have been following my quest, I know you are relieved to know that all four lions have been accounted for! I had a feeling someone would eventually stumble upon my blog and contact me with a lead, and that's exactly what happened. A woman who lives in California claimed her parents had the pair of Levy lions with shields. The history passed down to them by the prior owners of their estate was that in the 1920's the lions were pulled from a storage area that held Levy family items. This certainly lines up with the 1928 removal of Levy items from Monticello. It was even rumored that the lions were won in a poker game! Who acquired the lions and where they were being stored is still a mystery. They could have been purchased at auction and warehoused or removed by a Levy heir prior to auction.

Historic Holsinger photos (1 and 3) vs current photos (2 and 4)

I still had to authenticate the lions. After several fake lion scares, I was suspect. As luck would have it, I was able to do a little online research because the historic home where the lions reside is currently listed for sale and there are several photos of the pair of lions. I knew the second I saw the lions that they were authentic but I proceeded to create a side by side comparison of historic and current photos. One of my favorite historic photos is of the back of the lion which outlines every muscle and details the lovely mane. Another match was the cursive "L" inscribed on the front shield. I've seen several without any inscription so to find anything on the shield is rare. The only discrepancy is time and wear. The lions are missing a few teeth but everything else matches up!

Massive circular fountain bowl & record red Maple on right

The lions guard a historic home and grounds that has an extensive history. Secluded on 28 acres of solitude in virgin forests, Chanteloup is on the North Carolina registry of historic homes. The estate was built in 1840 for a french Count and Countess and has been referred to as Little Biltmore. Two sisters bought Chanteloup around 1900 and hired famed designer Frederick Olmsted, the father of American Landscape Architecture. The Norton sisters knew the Vanderbilt's who were planning to build their estate in Virginia until they visited Chanteloup and fell in love with North Carolina. To note, a state record holding Ornamental Maple tree is on the property.

Leonard and the Levy Lion

Not only was the trip to see the lions amazing, the property owners, Linda and Leonard celebrated this event with us by providing lunch on the veranda. I could gaze upon the lions and the Olmsted gardens and watch the birds dip and dive down in the valley below. We were lucky as it was the first warm Spring day where you could actually sit outside.

Beautiful wall mural painted by Leonard

Linda has an eye for color which is tastefully reflected in the home with updated features and decor but in keeping with the historic charm, period pieces have been collected. Over the years many renovations have preserved the home for future generations to enjoy. The property would make a wonderful museum or wedding reception venue. Linda and Leonard so hate to leave Chanteloup, having committed 20+ years restoring their beautiful home. Even the lions could be sold if the right party would come along. Maybe it's time for them to be reunited with a Levy heir? Time will tell, just please let me know the new owner!

I can't think of a better spot for the lions and am happy they have owners that appreciate them as I do.

~Rebecca 

Monticello Levy Lions, Exciting Discovery

One of the Levy Lions with Shield

If you have been following my blog posts concerning the large lion statues that were on the grounds of Monticello in the early 1900's, I have exciting news to share!

To recap, four lion statues were pictorially recorded mainly by local photographer, Rufus Holsinger. These statues were assumed to have been purchased by the owner of Monticello, Jefferson Monroe Levy, at least as early as 1905. Two statues were of lions with a ball under a paw and two other statues were of lions holding a shield with a large L inscribed. The ball footed lions became famous when their photo, along with Monticello, were minted on the back of the two dollar bill. It was noted by a local Charlottesville resident that it was in error because they were to honor Thomas Jefferson, but the lions were placed at Monticello long after Thomas Jefferson died and were owned by the Levy family.

Ball footed lion, 1912 historic Rufus Holsinger photo

I became very curious about the whereabouts of the lion statues after finding no concrete documentation as to what happened to them after the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation purchased the estate in 1923. Five years later any property that was not present during Thomas Jefferson's lifetime was sold at auctions held at Monticello and in New York City.

My search for the lions began in 2013 and eventually I tracked down the ball footed lions but the lions with shields remained elusive. Recently I went to the Monticello library for clues. Even with the help of the wonderful library staff, I once again hit a dead end.

Rumor was that lions statues ended up in a junkyard. The thought of this has always horrified me but certainly was a possibility due to the size of the lions and difficulty transporting such beasts. During the transport of a similar lion, the weight topped out at 3,000 pounds!

First lion reported as authentic, not a match.

I have been contacted a few times with reports of lion sightings only to determine they are not the statues that are in historic photographs from Monticello.

My hope was that eventually someone would read my blog posts online and contact me. Finally - finally someone has done just that!

Second lion reported as authentic, not a match in the least.

It is reported that the lions with shields have been gazing over grounds created by famed landscape architect, Frederick Olmsted and guarding the home of what has been referred to as "little Biltmore"! Oh if it is true, it's such an exciting discovery and fitting site for these historic lions.

In a few days I will publish my findings after seeing the lions with my own eyes!

~Rebecca

1928 Auction of the Levy Property at Monticello and New York City

Two auctions occurred at Monticello during its 244 year lifespan. The first was in 1827 after Thomas Jefferson passed away. His daughter was required to sell all furnishings, the house, and 140 slaves to pay his accumulated debt. It took 4 years to "unload" the house for a mere $7,500.

The second auction was held in November of 1928 after the new owners, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, set on a fundraising mission in 1923 to raise 1 million dollars to purchase Monticello. The goal of The Foundation was to rehab Monticello back to the 1809 - 1826 Jefferson era which meant disposing of items belonging to the prior owner, Jefferson Levy. The work continues to this day to remove all property and building modifications that were made during the 90 year sporadic ownership of Monticello by the Levy family. Fortunately in the 1980's steps were taken by The Foundation to restore the Levy family history.

1914 Sitting Lions and interesting sign to visitors by Holsinger

For many, many years Monticello was open to just about anyone that meandered up the mountain. Property owners were often not on site and Monticello was a "second home" managed by hired help to look after things. Because it was an ex-President's home, there was money to be made by charging admission but often there was little control over what people did or where they went. So Monticello had become quite the popular place to visit especially when automobile travel made the voyage easier. By 1900 it is recorded that 50,000 people made the trek each year. Apparently things were being damaged as a posted signs states, "Visitors allowed on grounds 20 minutes, Do no pull or break shrubbery, No lunching on the grounds". So one would imagine that a nationally advertised auction held at Monticello would be a HUGE deal. I've found no record of what occurred at the auction, as to what was sold or the turnout. Was it a stampede up the mountain or a fizzle?

More statues @ Monticello by Holsinger

When the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation originally took over Monticello it was headquartered in New York City. What you may not know is that there was another auction held in New York City as part of the 1928 disposal of Levy family items. In December, a month after the auction at Monticello, select items were sent to New York to be auctioned. I envision a few "high society" items and found a reference to some statuary being included in this sale. Because I had been researching the auction of 4 Lion statues for several years, I was very interested in trying to track down exactly what items were part of this auction. Maybe the missing "Sitting with Shield" lions were included!

Grounds @ Monticello by Holsinger

After some serious googling, I found a reference to a brochure listing the items in the NYC auction. Up until this point, I had not encountered any published references to the exact items auctioned. Because this auction was only 1 months after the auction held at the Monticello, I felt these items had been pre-selected and never part of the auction held at Monticello.

What sort of items do you believe were auctioned? Are you hanging on the edge of your seat? I was until I received the contents of the brochure and was I ever surprised.

It's so revealing that I'll have to write about it in my next blog post. So stay tuned!

1925 Restoration of Monticello from the book by M. Urosfky

Historic photos by Rufus Holsinger are copyrighted and not for commercial use as noted from the UVA Special Collections Library.

The last photo is a snapshot of the Levy Lions amid scaffolding is from the book, The Levy Family and Monticello by Melvin Urosfky.

-Rebecca