OSWEGO – The Oswego County Historical Society (OCHS) will host the 33rd Annual “Not So Silent Auction” on Friday, May 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, 26 E. First St. in Oswego.
Ticket donation is $20 and will be available for purchase in advance and at the door the day of the event.
The silent auction committee volunteers have been diligently seeking support for this year’s event. All proceeds will go toward the operating support for the society’s historic Richardson-Bates House Museum.
“This is the historical society’s primary fundraiser,” said Mary Kay Stone, co-chair for the auction. “It has always been a very important event. A successful evening is necessary in order to maintain this iconic landmark and its collections.”
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and part of the Washington Square Historic District, the Richardson-Bates House is a rare example of a 19th century Tuscan Villa.
“Many costly repairs to the ornate exterior have been completed during the last few years to preserve the historic integrity of the house and it’s been an amazing transformation” Stone said. “However, we began to discover several more imperative issues, including our 19th century window frames that were in dire need of repair. Due to the progress that has been made with the windows, we decided to do some more close-up evaluations and discovered there are more restoration needs. This now includes issues such as the large ornate finial that graces the four-story tower that has been dangerously tipping, and now needs to be repaired and stabilized.”
Efforts are regularly being made by the historical society board of trustees and volunteers to raise the needed funds to complete additional restoration projects on the inside and outside. A generous recent contribution from the city of Oswego from federal funds was received to assist with some of the immediate repairs. The ongoing exterior and interior work will also be made through the society’s yearly fundraisers, including this year’s annual auction.
A popular addition to the silent and live auction portions of the event has been the antique appraisal and it will be featured once again this year. Every admission ticket will include one free antique appraisal by Gerald Petro of Iroquois Auctions in Brewerton, N.Y. Additional appraisals after the first free one will be $5 each. This will be donated to the OCHS.
“Anyone who enjoys antiques and has something unique that they have always been curious about and would like to know more about the origin and value will have that opportunity,” said Justin White, board trustee and auction committee member. “If you enjoy the popular TV shows that feature antique appraisals, you will definitely enjoy having that personal experience provided at the auction.”
As a professional auctioneer, Gerald Petro will also conduct the live auction of special items. Among the many unique donations for bid will include a highly collectible late 19th century Hart Bros. stoneware crock with cobalt blue lettering, which was made in Fulton, N.Y. Also of local history interest is a full album of Oswego vintage postcards, featuring many years of Oswego landscapes and landmarks.
Another one of the unique items that will be featured in the live auction portion of the event this year is a souvenir replica of Oswego’s legendary Alvin Bronson rocker. Bronson was one of the earliest settlers in Oswego and a prominent commission merchant and civic leader. He was the first president of the village of Oswego, and then became a New York State Senator.
He was instrumental in the creation of the Oswego Canal and the connection to the Erie Canal. His leadership and vision put Oswego on the map as a major international harbor of prosperity, He was commissioned by the United States government as a supply agent of military and naval supplies kept in Oswego during the War of 1812. After the Battle of Oswego in May of 1814, Bronson was captured by the British for the purpose of seizing the military supplies.
The legend is that while Bronson was in his warehouse office seated in his famous rocker, he refused to get up and give any confidential information. He was hoisted up in his rocker and put on a flagship for imprisonment in Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He eventually was released due to the failed attempt by the British, and he successfully asked to keep his rocker.
In 1973, the city of Oswego celebrated its 125th anniversary, having been formed in 1848. The rockers are stenciled at the top with the anniversary years, along with the first city seal. Browne-Davis Furniture of Oswego ordered 125 souvenir replicas of the Bronson rocker.
The replica rockers are labeled by number and have its story underneath the seat written by Rosemary Nesbitt, a longtime Oswego City Historian and founder of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum. Nesbitt was a very popular storyteller, author, and college professor in the theater department at SUNY Oswego. She wrote a local history book entitled “The Great Rope” that inspired the idea of the replica rockers. The one in the live auction is labeled number one and it belonged to Nesbitt. It will make a nice Oswego souvenir. More Oswego memorabilia is up for bid.
“For anyone that appreciates Oswego history, particularly the War of 1812 era, will enjoy having this as a reminder of the value of our history and also the celebration that took place nearly fifty years ago in 1973,” said Justin White, the Oswego County Historian. “Alvin Bronson was considered the ‘First Citizen’ of Oswego, settling here in 1810. He lived to see it from a wilderness area to a thriving port city until his remarkable age of 97 in 1881. We are proud to have the original famous rocker and his fine portrait, which was commissioned at that same period, and attributed to Oswego artist Thomas Wentworth. Both are proudly on display in the museum permanent gallery, recognizing Oswego’s role during the War of 1812… These rare items were gifted to the museum by his direct descendants.”
A wide variety of gift certificates, antiques, home goods, collectibles, artwork and more will be available for bid. A traditional Chinese auction will be featured with chances to be offered for a dozen themed-filled gift baskets.
“The evening features a wide variety of valuable items received from generous donors,” said Jennifer Bertollini, co-chair for the auction. “There is truly something for everyone to bid on and enjoy, all while supporting the museum. Please mark your calendar and bring a friend.”
The Oswego County Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the county’s rich historic past. It operates the Richardson-Bates House Museum located 135 E. Third St. in Oswego. The museum is open from April to December on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m. and other days by appointment.
Anyone wishing to help sponsor the cost of the event or would like to purchase tickets in advance, may call the museum at 315-343-1342.
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