Fundraising for the Attic Renovation Project at the Miners’ Hall continued with an attic sale on Saturday afternoon.
Rosslanders sorted through pressed tin ceiling tiles from the attic, which were sold for $5 to $15 a piece, depending on how intact the tiles were.
“We had some very cool molding and crowns too,” said Ann Damude, co-chair of the Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) Miners Hall Renovation Committee.
Damude estimated that the sale of the tiles raised around $6000. All the funds collected will go toward the attic renovation.
The tiles were removed from the hall during the renovation in the ’80s. Research done at the time suggested that the tiles weren’t original to the hall, and were likely added sometime in the ’20s or ’30s.
“When they did the research what they found was that in 1898 this was all lath and plaster and that all the plaster was actually decorated with decorative paint work, like vines and plants and flowers,” said Damude. “So it was actually more historically accurate to 1898 to put drywall up, because it looks more like lath and plaster.”
Removing the tiles from the attic is a big part of getting the attic cleaned out for renovation, but there’s still more up there.
“We still have some wood that needs to come out, like old wood that’s been stored up there that needs to come out, as well as these thick foam blocks that are currently being used as insulation, and they’ll all have to come out before the actual renovation,” said Damude.
The attic sale helped contribute to a matching campaing that the RCAC is currently running. The organization has until Thursday, March 17 to raise $25,000 that will be matched by “some generous local donors.”
Donations to the Attic Renovation Project can be made through YODEL at minershall.yodel.org, City Hall or Nelson & District Credit Union. Any donations over $25 are eligible for a tax receipt.