A stately residence and antiques barn that together comprise one of Lambertville, N.J.’s most recognizable landmarks will be auctioned in a Saturday, Oct. 1 on-site sale conducted by Stephenson’s Auctioneers. The contents of the residence and remaining goods from the barn’s antiques and lighting businesses will be auctioned on the same day, separate from the real estate.
Located at 1872 and 1874 River Road (Rt. 29) in West Amwell Township (considered Lambertville), the property consists of a 2-story brick Federal home and an adjacent barn that formerly housed River Road Antiques & Lighting. Under its previous ownership, the barn served as the premises for The Rooster’s Coop, a lighting business that was also well known to antiques enthusiasts from throughout the tri-state area.
“The property sits high on a hill, next door to the Golden Nugget Antique Market,” said Stephenson’s Auctioneers’ owner, Cindy Stephenson. “It’s very pastoral, with lots of native vegetation and animals, and is within walking distance of the Delaware River. Anyone who has been to the area would know the place. The home would make a fantastic weekend retreat for a person living in Manhattan, which is about an hour and 20 minutes away.”
The auction will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with the sale of residential furnishings and the barn’s antiques inventory to commence at 10 a.m., and the real property – residence, barn and outbuildings – at 2 p.m. All of the home’s contents and the antiques, lamps, chandeliers, light fixtures and sizable parts inventory from River Road Antiques’ lamp-repair department will be offered without reserve.
Built on farmland around 1860, the residence sits on 7.71 acres and features five bedrooms, lofty ceilings, period woodwork and many other beautiful architectural appointments. The spacious barn – which will be auctioned as a separate property – has several interior rooms in addition to generous floor-display and storage areas. It is situated on 3.83 acres and, like the residence, is zoned for commercial use.
Owners John and Ermina Santaguida live in California and are motivated to sell because they no longer have a use for the property. John Santaguida, a successful antiques dealer who previously owned Windsor Auctions in Westfield, N.J., decided to close River Road Antiques and Lighting after his mother passed away earlier this year.
“I bought the property in 2005 so my mother and stepfather could live in the house and run the antiques and lighting businesses next door,” Santaguida explained. “My stepfather now prefers to move to a house that is not as large, so we’re auctioning everything.”
The home is very tastefully decorated with Victorian and later period furniture. Among the pieces to be sold are a farm table with ladder-back chairs, a pumpkin pine cupboard, mortice bench, clerk’s chair, Oriental rugs, Victorian tables and a marble cup server. There are prints, cabinet plates, a rattan-style porch set and many quality “smalls.” Art by Jane Gilday (b. 1951-), a listed artist from the New Hope/Lambertville area, and a 70-piece Lunt sterling silver flatware set in the English Shell pattern will be offered, as will some coin silver. A few still banks and even a selection of circus posters found in the basement will be sold to the highest bidder.
A tent will be set up on the lawn where multiple auctioneers will be selling smalls and some of the furniture from the house, plus a portion of the antiques inventory from the barn. Cindy Stephenson commented that River Road Antiques imported sizable shipments from Europe that included armoires, painted cupboards and other well-chosen pieces of furniture. Starting at 10 a.m., auctioneers will be working their way from room to room in the barn, with one of them selling antiques and the other conducting the auction of chandeliers, lamps, shades and parts. The parts, alone, represent “considerable dollar value,” Stephenson said.
Because of the no-reserve policy on all but the real estate, and because “so much wonderful merchandise will be available at one venue,” Stephenson said she expects a big turnout on auction day.
A 10% buyer’s premium will apply to all purchases, including the real estate. Those intending to bid on the real estate will be required to post a $5,000 deposit in the form of cash or a cashier’s check. A 2% broker’s co-op will be paid to any real estate agent who brings in the winning bidder. The sale of the real estate will be subject to the seller’s acceptance of the top bid.
Inspection hours are Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. till the commencement of sale at 10 a.m. To accommodate bidders who cannot attend the auction in person, Stephenson’s will accept phone bids (lines must be arranged in advance) and absentee bids. Phone and absentee bidding will be available on the real estate only if the interested party has inspected the property in person prior to the auction and has presented a deposit.
For additional information about the real estate, call Cindy Stephenson at 215-322-6182 or 215-499-4188. Inquiries about residential contents or the inventory from the antiques and lighting businesses may be directed to Tom Wakeley at 215-332-6182 or 215-850-4778. E-mail [email protected]. Visit the company online at www.stephensonsauction.com
