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It was an opportunity for some to get good deals on items such as tableware, furniture, jewelry, clothing, books and more. It was a way for others to appreciate the stunning architecture of a historic landmark.
For contractor Paul Augustyn, of Northampton, who attended the annual indoor community yard sale at the Masury Estate in Center Moriches on Saturday, it was a bit of both.
“This is a fantastic ballroom,” he mused, looking around in his visit to the remains of the circa 1898 building. “Look at the floor,” he said to his daughters, Anya, 25, and Ava, 20, providing details of its parquet design. He was also fascinated by woodworking of the ballroom’s wall paneling, as well as the curved windows in the bar area.
Anya said the family often goes to estate and garage sales, and as someone looking for her first home, she eyes design ideas. She picked up a few items on Saturday, including a doll.
Rudy Rank, president of the 500-home Holiday Beach Property Owners Association, which uses the building as a clubhouse and is in charge of maintaining and restoring the property, said all the proceeds from the event go toward bringing the building — which consists of the original estate’s ballroom, bowling alley and sunroom — “back to its former glory.”
John W. Masury, who bought large sections of property in the Moriches area in the late 1800s, made his fortune manufacturing paint. The large summer was built by Masury’s widow, Grace.
What remains of the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The rest of the estate was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938. A picture in the bar area depicts the full size of the original estate.
Rank said the association, which has restored much of the recreational space since taking over the building in the 1950s, received more than 2,000 donations from local residents in the sale, and that it raised in the range of $4,000.
The next project is to refurbish the windows, said Rank, who stressed that the event, which has been going on for more than 20 years, is an all-volunteer effort.
“The women that plan this event go above and beyond.”
Items that weren’t sold are sent to shelters and others in need, Rank said.
“Everyone wins.”
