Women of Walpole Raise $2800 for Historical Society Renovation
By Chuck Bingaman
In a chocolate and wine tasting benefit party offered by the Women of Walpole (WOW) and Burdick’s Chocolate July 17, over 80 $25 ticket purchasers and silent auction bidders raised over $2800 toward the recently completed Walpole Historical Society Academy Building renovation project.
Since the building was retired in 1955 as Walpole’s high school, the Historical Society has used it as its home. But, a frame sagging under the weight of a very old slate roof, a rotting bell tower/cupola and rotting columns, and a side entrance whose reverse pitch had harbored snow and rain for years had finally demanded last year that the Society taken action. In fact, one of the workmen said that the building “had remained standing as it was more by habit than anything else.”
A $300,000 renovation project to shore up the interior structure, replace the old slate with architecture shingles that look like slate, rebuild and restructure the columns and rebuild the bell tower and side entrance has now returned the venerable structure to its original 1855 condition! Over $200,000 has been raised and paid, but nearly $100,000 remains to pay down the remaining mortgage.
Peggy Dion of the Women of Walpole and Cathy Watson, General Manager of Burdick’s arranged the party, found and arranged over 80 donated silent auction items, and Jayson Munn of Munn Designs emceed that auction announcements. The fact that the temperature on Monday was in the low 90s and a power failure had killed Burdick’s air-conditioning shortly before the guests arrived did little to quell the festivities except to make the chocolate a bit softer.
“We were delighted with the turnout and with the amount we raised for the Historical Society,” said Mrs. Dion afterward. We still have a long way to go to pay off our building loan, but the people of Walpole have been very supportive, and we are proud of our renovated building.”
The Society’s Academy Building is open during the summer from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and by appointment. In addition to the Society’s marvelous collection of 18th and 19th century clothing that rotates between storage and display, the collection includes antique furniture, paintings, old Walpole signs and a library of historical materials pertaining to Walpole. It also houses a small, volunteer run gift shop with many objects commemorating Walpole’s history.
Below, Cathy Watson, left, General Manager of Burdick's, and Peggy Dion, right, Vice President of the Historical Society (and standing in for President Sue Vose who could not be present), receive a check for over $2800 from Jane Praeger, Treasurer of Women of Walpole, center.
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