Antiques appraisal at schoolhouse

MILLERTON — An antiques appraisal is to take place at the Irondale Schoolhouse on Saturday, Oct. 8, as a fundraiser for the Friends of Irondale Schoolhouse (FOISH).

“This is the first time we’re doing an appraisal,” said FOISH President Ralph Fedele. “I thought since the schoolhouse is involved with the history of the area and goes back to the 1850s, and a lot of people in this area have antiques or live in old houses with historical documents, that an appraisal event would be a good and fun event for people while supporting our efforts — we’re all about preserving history.

“We’re encouraging people to bring in any antiques or historical items that they’re interested in learning more about — glassware, art, paintings, whatever,” Fedele added. “There are many appraisals that have been done by several organizations in this area and have been a total success with people bringing lots of stuff. I’m hoping this one will also be a success.”

Seth and Mike Fallon, owners of the Copake Auction House, will conduct the appraisal clinic and will have computers available to them to help research items.

For the cost of $10 per piece, individuals will be able to learn more about an item’s history, rarity, worth and much more.

While the proceeds of the fundraiser will help cover operational costs for the organization, it will also provide for future programs, according to Fedele. In particular, programs dedicated to children.

“The appraisal is for a worthy cause,” he said. “Fundraisers are important because it costs money to run the Irondale Schoolhouse … we’re always trying to honor our history and I always say we’re looking ahead to our future. Children are important. We want to have more educational programs next year that are geared toward kids to teach them about the area that they live in, the valuable history of the countryside and the old fashion American spirit — that’s what this is really about.”

This year, for example, the Irondale Schoolhouse teamed up with the Millerton Summer Recreation Program to provide an educational enrichment opportunity for children. Campers spent two days at the schoolhouse learning about the one-room schoolhouse educational system, the history of Millerton and the railroad.

According to Fedele, the schoolhouse is all about building community spirit for both young and old as it brings tourists, locals and volunteers together.

The schoolhouse, which sits next to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail head on Main Street, is not only a historical landmark in Millerton, but also serves as a visitor center for the village.

The antiques appraisal clinic will go from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m., rain or shine.