GILBERTSVILLE — It's a gamble to utter the words “Christmas” or “shopping” in the same sentence this early in November – but exceptions can be made, especially when a charity is on the line.
Such a warranted deviation from this taboo is the Annual Christmas Bazaar to benefit the Major's Inn on Route 51 in Gilbertsville, now in its thirty-second year.
Since 1983 organizers at the historic site have hosted the event with one goal in mind – raising funds to preserve the historic landmark for future generations to marvel.
“The event is a volunteer effort,”said Executive Director of The Major's Inn Foundation, Cece Rowe. “The Bazaar is just one continued effort to raise funding for upkeep and restoration of the beloved and irreplaceable structure,” she added.
But this year fundraising for the Inn is all that more important. Earlier in 2015, the preservation board of the foundation learned that the aging slate roof of the stately structure had been failing and would need replacement – at a weighty cost the tune of $50,000 according to recent estimates.
“The cost is so significant because it's all original slate, not the typical asphalt shingles or steel that most ordinary homes and buildings have,” said Rowe. And with that, a slater with the proper special equipment and expertise – somewhat of a dying art – must to be hired to replace the leaky roof. “One of the copper turrets has to be completely rebuilt as well,” said Rowe.
The extent of the damage is minimal at this point, but pain is clearly evident in Rowe's voice; she's spent the past 30 years or so laboring to save the property which was dilapidated from years of neglect.
“We're really hoping that the grant money comes through,” Rowe said of a recent effort to shore up the property's checking account to see the project through; “We're doing all that we can in the meantime.”
Rowe and her cohorts organize many a fundraiser throughout the year, including an annual artisan Quilt Show, concerts and the Christmas Bazar.
For the Bazar, an immense assortment of novelties and gifts are displayed on tables in the open-timber ballroom for the event – held this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Event staff will also offer lunch service held in the facility’s dining room.
According to Rowe, 100 percent of all proceeds go directly into the building via The Major's Inn Foundation. Rowe also noted that there are no paid staff that keep the operation going, all staffers are volunteers with a similar vision, the preservation of the rich history of Gilbertsville and its iconic Inn.
Along with a board of directors and other volunteers, Rowe maintains the property and coordinates special events and general day-to-day operations of the facility.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in April of 1973, The Inn is often is commissioned for breathtaking and picturesque wedding ceremonies and receptions throughout the summer months.
Said Rowe, “This is a beautiful old building that many of us have dedicated our lives to assist in preserving; it's a landmark of our community and something we've worked very hard to save.”