A Colonial-style house featured in a 2010 Orange County Register story about historic homes tucked into the hills of Lemon Heights will be offered in an online auction.

The estate, with a 9,100-square-foot main house, was on the market for $5.3 million two years ago, but never sold. It’s now listed at $3.95 million. The bidding starts at $1.7 million..The property sits on a 1.5 acre lot. The center part of the main house is the original structure built in 1936; It’s flanked by an additional wing on one side and an extra floor on the other side, both added decades later.

The 6-bedroom house at 11331 Skyline Dr. has a motor court and dramatic entryway – also updates. But off to one side, on the historical part of the house, is the original front door.

The swimming pool is thought to be one of the earliest in Orange County.  A 3,100-square foot, 4-bedroom guest house has been expanded but could have been butlers’ quarters in another era.

Realtor Lisa Lovell of Seven Gables Real Estate, co-listing the property with Greg Hanson of the same firm, likes to note some of the mysteries surrounding the portions of the houses built in 1936. In addition to the theory about a butlers’ quarters, the original location of the kitchen in the main house remains unsolved.

In the back yard, a quaint child-size playhouse, added a half-century after the main house was built, has a loft and gives youngsters a view of the Disneyland fireworks. The main house offers views stretching from the mountains to the ocean and Catalina on a clear day.

The home was the residence of the late co-founder of Vans Tennis Shoes.

The online auction will be held by auction.com on Sept. 17-19. The website says qualified bidders must register and provide a $10,000 deposit. Agents who work with the auction house keep their listing and full commission. Auction.com earns a 5 percent buyer’s premium, which the buyer pays at closing.

To see additional Orange County homes being auctioned during the same period go to auction.com/luxury.

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