Inside Manvel mansion: The estate bigger than the White House

Friday, June 28, 2019

Manvel mansion plans include housing school and church on opposite ends

ABC13's Katherine Marchand reports from the iconic mansion in Manvel where a church and school will take residence in the empty estate.

MANVEL, Texas (KTRK) -- The 63,890-square-foot megamansion of Manvel is bigger than the White House, which is 55,000 square feet.

While it dwarfs the iconic D.C. home, it's not exactly fit for the president, at least not yet.

Instead, the 46-bedroom estate is now home to two parties - Heritage Christian Academy and Fresh Impact Church. The school will take up the front end of the home while the church takes up the back.

The mansion had been empty for a while. Jim Youngblood, the owner of the mansion, said he's relieved that there will be activity.

"It's been an eyesore and a money pit for the last 10 years," Youngblood said.

Youngblood told ABC13 many people in the area believe the house is haunted.

"Hopefully, we can make it to where it's an asset for the community and the neighborhood as well," Youngblood said.

The house was built in 2001, but it went on sale in 2009 for $3.5 million.

On Friday, Youngblood and Tyrone Lane, who is the lead pastor of Fresh Impact Church, gave ABC13 a tour of the mansion. While the exterior is palatial, and will remain intact, the inside of the home has seen better days. Vandals pulled out wiring, broke windows and damaged sheetrock.

Lane says they'll have to start from scratch, but he expressed excitement over transforming the muddy mansion into a holy home. Youngblood will make that happen.

"Even though this building has been there for 15 years, we're practically getting like a new building," Lane said. "Because everything is going to be brand new, from the carpet to the walls to every single thing."

The mansion is 400 feet by 100 feet. There are 26 full bathrooms, a nine-car garage, an indoor swimming pool and spa, and an elevator.

"Unfortunately, we're not keeping the pool. That area is going to be for our congregation," Lane said.

For the church, the house provides the much needed space for its growing community.

"It's a great expansion for both of us because we're both at our capacity," Lane said. "Being a mobile church, we actually have to bring two trucks and trailers every single Sunday, unload them, set up church, our lights and audio and tear down every single week. And we've done that for about 2 years and 7 months."

The school hopes to move in by August 2020.