Our story starts when the 2013 foreclosure of the residence made headlines. Longtime Liberace fan and English businessman Martyn Ravenhill learned of the foreclosure through an unlikely source: YouTube. “I saw that it was for sale and that it was in really bad shape,” Ravenhill said. “I called and was told that it already had an offer and was not for sale. Is it officially sold?” He soon discovered the sale fell through, quickly jumped on a plane to Las Vegas, toured the home, placed an offer and, as they say, the rest is history.
“I did not realize the magnitude of the place until I saw it. It is almost 15,000 square feet.”
Bringing Back the Glamour of a Community Asset
The purchase was only the first step in what turned out to be a monumental project to truly honor Liberace as an entertainment icon, preserve his vision and restore his residence to its original grandeur.
“When you take a look at Liberace, he was a very different type of entertainer, and there is no one to compare. He had a personal touch, spark, glitz and glamour like no one else,” Ravenhill said. And so in 2013 the restoration began with initial construction launched to quickly save the home from total collapse, and since that time a steady stream of projects have been done to restore it structurally and refurnish its interior. However, the home is just one element of a bigger mission, to preserve Liberace’s legacy, to share his story, and continue the vision he had as extraordinary entertainer.
