WATERFORD — The historic Lake House has been purchased by a California man with ties to Waterford who hopes to open up a restaurant there in the future.

More than 50 people, including four registered bidders from as far away as New York and California, showed up Thursday morning, to learn the future of the inn at 686 Waterford Road, where Hollywood celebrities such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney and others stayed.

Thirty minutes later as auctioneer Tom Saturley yelled “Bingo!” the 200-plus-year-old property had a new owner.

John DeLois of San Francisco, brother of Camp Wigwam owner Jane Strauss of Waterford, purchased the property for $250,000 at the foreclosure auction held by Tranzon Auction Properties of Portland.

“I’m going to open a restaurant,” DeLois said, smiling broadly as neighbors in the National Historic District of Waterford Flats village and others rushed over to introduce themselves and welcome him.

“It’s sort of lost its magic but it’s still there. Someone needs to bring it back,” neighbor Ginger Eaton told DeLois as she went to congratulate him on his purchase.

DeLois, 61, said he intends to move to Waterford full time and work on the property, opening a restaurant in another year or more. He also intends to put a kiln in the home to continue his work as a potter. He owns the Clay Studio in San Francisco.

Allyson Johnson and Donald Johnson Jr. bought the Lake House in 2006. Local residents said they operated it as an inn until this year.

Norway Savings Bank foreclosed on the property in April.

As of July 1, the couple owed the town $7,326 in taxes for 2009 and 2010, according to town records.

The auction included more than one acre of land, a 6,300-square-foot, wood-frame house, including seven guest rooms with baths, a front parlor and living room, dining room with a fireplace, a commercial kitchen and  front porches on both floors. The property also includes a detached 632-square-foot guest cottage and a lattice gazebo.

The Lake House was built in the 1700s and used as an inn, then a private residence for many years before it was sold and operated as an inn and restaurant by a succession of owners.

It sits on the town common in the heart of the National Historic District and across from Keoka Lake.

Many local year-round and summer residents turned out for the auction.

“I asked my wife to marry me here,” said George Shea of New York, who has spent parts of his summer in Waterford for years. Although he said he did not come prepared to buy the house, he said his interest depended on how low the bids would go.

The bidding started out at $125,000 for the property that was on the market for about $700,000 several years ago.

“I’ll act like your best friend but I’m going to try to take as much money out of you as possible,” Saturley said. At one point he took time to let the bidders think about their next move, but the bidding halted at $250,000.

The new owner also purchased all the contents of the house, which ranged from beds to dishes, pots and pans.

“This is an emotional event in our town,” said Waterford Historical Society Trustee Lieselotte Willoughby.

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