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Johnny Cash's old ranch just sold over the asking price for $1.85 million, and the agent says it's a 'virtual time capsule.' Check it out.

The house's exterior
The house's exterior.Douglas Elliman
  • A five-bedroom mansion in California formerly owned by Johnny Cash just sold for $1.85 million.

  • Cash built the Casitas Springs house in 1961 and lived there with his family for six years.

  • Most rooms are preserved in the way that Cash designed them.

A Casitas Springs mansion that once belonged to country-music legend Johnny Cash just sold for $1.85 million — $55,000 above the asking price.

The exterior of the house
The exterior of the house.Douglas Elliman

The house was listed for $1.795 million in June. It sold two months later in August, listing records show. Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders of Douglas Elliman held the listing.

Cash bought the 5.91-acre estate in Ventura County, California, in 1961 with his then-wife, Vivian, according to the listing. The couple lived there with their daughters until their divorce in 1966.

Cash's ex-wife sold the house in the early 1970s, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing property records.

 

While the sellers are Cash fans, the history of the estate was just a bonus in their decision to purchase the property.

One of the living areas in the house
One of the living areas in the house.Douglas Elliman

"Raising my kids on this spacious and secluded property was exactly what we were looking for," Chip Hickman, the seller, told Insider.

He and his wife, Jo Ann, bought the home in 2003. They were looking for a space large enough to fit their family of five, as well as his wife's parents and her brother, Hickman said.

"I retired three years ago from a long career as a firefighter, and my kids are growing up and going off to college. My in-laws have passed, and it's time for us to downsize a bit," Hickman said.

"Virtually everything in the home is original to Johnny Cash's design," Hickman said.

A turntable that's built into the wall.
The turntable built into the wall is a feature preserved from Cash's design.Douglas Elliman

Features such as a wall-mounted turntable, a curved brick fireplace, and a grandfather clock in the entryway were installed by Cash, Hickman said.

"A shorter list would be what's not original," he said. "That would be the carpet, some paint, and I believe the home had wood-shake shingles originally."

While some features have been added to the property since Cash's time, there's been no major renovation, Hickman said.

One of the living areas in the house
The wood interiors and wagon-wheel chandeliers are original.Douglas Elliman

These changes were primarily on the outside of the home, including landscaping and fencing work.

"The front walkway was widened and stone added," he said. "An outdoor kitchen has been added, and most of the windows were replaced."

Hickman said his favorite part of living in the home was the sense of peace on the property.

The kitchen
The kitchen features custom wood cabinets left from Cash's time.Douglas Elliman

"There are no city lights washing out the night sky," he said. "There's also an abundance of wildlife to watch, including deer, fox, hawks, raccoons, owls, squirrels, and songbirds."

Since the property is set on a hill, the views of the rocky cliffs behind the home are unbeatable, he added.

Cash wrote many of his hit songs in the wood-paneled studio, with the windows offering him privacy, according to the listing.

A wood-paneled studio
A wood-paneled studio is said to be where Cash wrote some of his hit music.Douglas Elliman

"The wood-paneled office is original and was where Johnny would go to write his music, so I've been told," Hickman said.

The studio was a place where Cash could create music without disturbing his sleeping family, he added.

"Rumor has it that he was a bit of a night owl and slept during the day," Hickman said.

There are five bedrooms and four full bathrooms in the house.

One of the bedrooms in the house
One of the primary bedrooms in the house.Douglas Elliman

The house has two primary-bedroom suites.

"Johnny's bedroom ceiling was black with gold flakes, but the owner before us painted it white. Vivian's bedroom ceiling was pink with gold flakes, and they also painted it white," Hickman said.

All other bedroom ceilings are original and so are the bathrooms, including Cash's black toilet, he added.

The property also has a swimming pool, a pool house, and a barbecue area.

The house's exterior
The house's exterior.Douglas Elliman

"The home is a virtual time capsule, as if Johnny and Vivian just stepped out," Borders said.

She told Insider in July that she expected the buyers to be Johnny Cash fans: "They are calling and coming from many parts of the US. It's fascinating to hear their Johnny Cash experiences growing up and why they 'have to have this house.'"

Borders did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the sale.

Read the original article on Insider