GREENFIELD — Old Greenfield Village has closed its doors for good, to allow owner Waine Morse to have “a second retirement.”
Morse spent 34 years collecting historical lathes and drill presses, school desks, a milk delivery wagon and other antiques. The replica of a New England town, as it appeared in 1895, opened to the public in 1996. The attraction included 15 buildings containing 22 sites – a steamfitter’s shop, a builder’s shop and others dry-goods store.
Morse said he’s always had an interest in history, which sparked his interest in creating the village. However, he feels it is time to retire for a second time in his life (he also retired after working as a local school teacher.)
“I’ve enjoyed operating this place,” Morse said. “But I’m ready to sit in my rocking chair and maybe make a change.”
Morse decided to auction off his collection. There are two auctions: one on Saturday, Oct. 12 will sell larger items on-site and another Oct. 16 will be at the Spencer Country Inn.
The auctioneer is Bill Ekleberry.
The first auction will be at Old Greenfield Village, 286 Mohawk Trail, Saturday Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. It is a life-time collection which was set up as a village in the 1890 to 1930 vintage.
There will be an early preview on Friday, Oct. 11 from noon until 3 p.m. A preview on the day of the auction will be held at 9 a.m.
The preview will continue as the auction goes throughout the buildings. The antiques and collectibles items will be sold first with the general store, drug store, candy story, dress store and the doctor’s office, then go to the tools and blacksmith shops around noon.
The second auction on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Spencer Country Inn will have a preview at noon, an early auction at 3 p.m. and an auction at 6 p.m. The inn is located at 500 Main St., Spencer.
There will be over 150 lots of toys from the toy shop collection plus items from the dressmaker’s shop and the barber shop, doctor’s and eye doctor’s offices and the butcher shop.
For a longer listing of the items being sold go to https://www.auctionzip.com/Listings/3336333.html.
Reach Melina Bourdeau at mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ext. 263.