KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders' former home, Blackwood Hall, and a collection of his personal memorabilia are up for auction. The sealed-bid auction for the property, which includes the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, ends on July 31. A separate auction on July 24 featured Sanders' personal items, including his pressure cooker, black bow tie, and a 1964 planner containing an unlabeled recipe with 11 herbs and spices, sparking speculation about whether it could be KFC's secret recipe.
Sanders and his wife, Claudia, moved to Blackwood Hall in 1959, seven years after he began franchising his fried-chicken recipe. He sold KFC in 1964 but continued operating the Dinner House until 1974, when he sold the property to family friends. The home served as KFC's headquarters before the sale.
The auction includes Sanders' original Kentucky Colonel certificate, a letter from President Richard Nixon, and other personal effects. Auctioneer Bill Menish of The Menish Group stated that while the planner's recipe is intriguing, it cannot be confirmed as KFC's secret formula. KFC previously examined the recipe during a legal dispute and concluded it did not match their proprietary blend, suggesting it might be for stuffing instead.
The auction has drawn global interest, with online pre-bidding concluding before the live event. The property and memorabilia are being sold by the Settle family, who operated the Dinner House since 1974.