Windsor Historical Society Goods and Services Auction June 11

Everybody loves the chance to snap up a bargain, and there will be treasures and bargains aplenty at Windsor Historical Society’s auction on the evening of June 11^th.   The auction will be held in First Church’s Nelson Hall at 107 Palisado Avenue at 7:00 p.m. with a preview at 6:00.   Tickets are $5 and include coffee or soda and a home-baked sweet of your choice.  The auction is the Historical Society’s major fundraiser this year.  Proceeds support public programs for schoolchildren and adults and the operation of the Society’s historic houses, research library, exhibition galleries, and family learning center.  “This is Windsor Historical Society’s first auction,” notes Society director Christine Ermenc.  “Our membership and the local businesses have been very generous, so there will be something there for everyone.”

Auctions have a long-standing historical precedent.  The Greeks and Babylonians sold marriageable women to the highest bidder.  Romans used auctions to dispose of the spoils of war and to liquidate estates.   The Chinese auctioned property to raise money for the building of temples, and the auctioning of enslaved Africans is an infamous part of this country’s history.   Two famous New York auction houses have been in existence for well over 200 years.  Sotheby’s auction house was founded in 1744, and Christie’s was established in 1766.

Come to Nelson Hall at First Church on the evening of June 11^th and bid on items like fine jewelry, sterling silver and silver-plated ware, glass wares, crafted items such as quilts and quill work, a 19^th century cannonball rope bed, a child’s Hitchcock-style rocking chair, a corn shucker, framed paintings and limited edition prints, an exquisite framed Len Hellerman photograph of the Farmington River Railroad Bridge and Barbara Van Winkelen’s artist’s copy of her Palisado Green view, long out of print.

    People hungry for entertainment options will find them.  Choose between an 18^th century dinner prepared by a gourmet cook and re-enactor in a colonial home, a pool party and dinner for six, a Dutch dining experience and several movie ticket packages.  Sports enthusiasts will find golf bags and paddle ball paraphernalia.  Fine household goods such as china, glassware, mirrors are available, as well as more utilitarian household goods such as a sewing machine, a modern bedroom set, a snowblower, and air-conditioners.   Book lovers will find antique and modern offerings to savor.  Local businesses are donating mulch, pedicures, a $100 grocery gift certificate, restaurant certificates and assorted goods and services.  A full listing of auction items is available by calling 688-3813, or by clicking on the following button:

   Bidders may pay with cash, check, or credit card.  All items sold must be removed from the premises that evening.  For more information on the auction or to donate items, please contact the Windsor Historical Society, 96 Palisado Avenue (Rt. 159), Windsor, 860-688-3813, www.windsorhistoricalsociety.org or  info@windsorhistoricalsociety.org.  The Historical Society is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Parking for the June 11 auction is available around Palisado Green and in the First Church and Windsor Discovery Center parking lots.