Historical commission sells pieces from old Mt. Pleasant homes

Mt. Pleasant carpenter Joe Holtkamp found a treasure — four old porch posts that came from a home built in the 1860s in Mt. Pleasant.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to do with the posts. He might make the posts into a table. Then again he might resell them.

Whatever happens, Holtkamp was one of numerous people who sifted through fixtures that had been salvaged from Mt. Pleasant homes before they were torn down and were offered for sale at the Mt. Pleasant Historical Preservation Commission’s salvage sale Saturday.

Doors and a banister were popular with people looking for projects for their homes.

Steve Ruby measured a door, another treasure that may have been more than 150 years old. He and his wife bought a house they are restoring over the summer. He wasn’t sure if he wanted another project.

“We have enough projects now,” he said.

All of the architectural pieces were on sale Saturday at the historic Second Baptist Church at 407 W. Saunders St. in Mt. Pleasant.

The items for sale were salvaged from homes slated for demolition.

There were more than two dozen doors in a variety of styles and sizes available. Most had the original doorknobs and hardware on them.

Proceeds from the sale will go toward matching funds for a grant to digitize Mt. Pleasant newspapers dating from 1850.

The commission has qualified for a $26,000 grant. It needs to raise $13,000 as matching funds for the grant.

Items included antique doors, windows, porch posts, a claw foot bathtub, cast iron radiators, leaded glass cabinet doors and banisters.

A Mt. Pleasant antiques dealer helped price the items for sale.