Auction to benefit the Litchfield Firehouse Sat., Nov. 21 A major auction to help finish the interior of the new addition to the Litchfield Firehouse in Litchfield, Conn., will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, inside the firehouse, by Tim's, Inc. of nearby Bristol
(LITCHFIELD, Conn.) – A major auction to help finish the interior of the new addition to the Litchfield Firehouse will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, beginning at 5 p.m. at the firehouse, located at 258 West Street. The auction will be conducted by Tim’s, Inc., of nearby Bristol. The sale will feature sports cards, coins and stamps, rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, artwork, autographed items, collectibles and more.
“This will be no average fundraising auction,” said Tim Chapulis of Tim’s, Inc., himself a resident of Litchfield. “The items gathered for this event have been drawn from private homes, family estates, important collections and even the contents of a safety deposit box. In many ways it will be a somewhat smaller version of our Cabin Fever Auction, held every spring at the Litchfield Firehouse.”
The two-story, 2,150-square-foot brick addition to the existing firehouse was started in April and completed at the end of August. It comprises a meeting room, two offices, a storage room, two rest rooms and a communications room that is 90 percent complete. But much is still needed to complete the job, and that’s where the auction comes in.
The money would go toward interior walls, heating and air conditioning, electricity and phone service, insulation, carpeting, furniture, artwork and other decorations and appointments that will make the current shell habitable. “The work will take six months to complete,” said James Koser, Litchfield’s Fire Chief. “We’d like to stud the walls and install the plumbing within three weeks of the auction.”
The first hour of the sale (from 5-6 p.m.) will be dedicated to sports cards, coins and stamp collections. The antiques and other items will follow, starting at 6 p.m. The contents of the safety deposit box includes dazzling estate jewelry, like a stunning 1-carat single stone lady's diamond ring, appraised at over $5,000, an antique gold men's gold pocket watch in a hunter's case, and estate gold and silver jewelry.
Also sure to get paddles wagging is an outstanding group of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia items.
Included in the group is a guitar signed by members of the rock group Jay and the Americans; a Martin Sigma folk guitar signed by Merle Haggard, Toby Keith, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, group members of Trick Pony and others; sheet music signed by the late guitar legend Les Paul, with matching framed record; and a Les Paul-signed poster for his CD Chasing the Sound with an accompanying DVD.
Other rock ‘n’ roll items include a photo signed by five of the six members of The Marshall Tucker Band; a red Mercedes-Benz edition bottle of Jim Beam whiskey, never opened and signed by Jay and the Americans; a Telecaster model guitar signed by Willie Nelson and Les Paul; and a 78 rpm record and photo of ‘50s icons Bill Halley and the Comets, signed by Halley and members of the group.
A private collection of around 20 pieces of Hitchcock furniture (made in Connecticut; the company is no longer in business) will
