A Lewisville woman who has deep roots in the North Carolina Christmas tree industry was the winning bidder for Junior Johnson’s mansion and farm situated just north of the Iredell County line. Loretta Sides Shore, who owns Shore’s Nursery, said Monday that she was the buyer of the house and 150-acre farm at the Aug. 7 auction. The identity of the buyer had been kept confidential. The winning bid was $2.3 million and the sale is scheduled to close this week. Shore’s Nursery grows Fraser firs on more than a dozen farms it owns or leases in the Laurel Springs and Sparta areas of Alleghany County. Shore said she and her husband plan to make minor changes to Johnson’s former home before moving in. The house was a dream home for Johnson, taking two years to build under his scrutiny. The black rails of the cattle fencing are a landmark on the north side of U.S. 421, just west of Interstate 77. Johnson, 81, raised cattle on the farm, but said his health issues meant he could no longer take care of the property. He and his wife moved to the exclusive Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte. Johnson initially listed the house for $6 million and the price was dropped to just less than $5 million. When it didn ‘t sell, Johnson decided to auction it.( Statesville Record & Landmark )(8-22-2012)
