FARMINGTON — The Farmington Historical Society will hold a second auction at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, to help finance ongoing work at the old North Church, the Titcomb House and the Octagon House.

A preview of items begins at 5 p.m. at the church on High Street, with bidding from 6 to 8 p.m. or until 100 items have been sold, according to a poster on the church door. There is a $2 admission fee.

The society held an auction last month and plans another on Sept. 12 to raise money for renovations and maintenance of the buildings, member Byron “Buzz” Davis said.

Work on the 100-plus-year-old church began in 2007 when the town helped secure a $100,000 federal Community Development Block Grant. The wooden floors had rotted and a new foundation was needed, Davis said. About $200,000 worth of electrical, heating and plumbing work also was needed.

The society and individual donations covered what the grant did not.

The community room downstairs has a new hardwood floor, there are two new bathrooms, a kitchen area and a beverage area, Davis said.

“The sanctuary is in good shape,” he said. There’s a stage area in front and the choir loft in back.

On Wednesday, Mike Callahan and Max Richard of Riverbend Property Management, which is owned by Davis, painted the exterior.

The church is available for weddings and music and theater performances, Davis said.

It is also the meeting place for the society, which used the Henderson Memorial Baptist Church for at least the past 12 years. The society holds a potluck supper and meeting on the third Monday of each month, except in the winter, member Nancy Porter said.

It’s continuing to raise money, offering donors of $2,000 to have their name on the basement-level windows. Members are also seeking a community kitchen donor, Davis said.

Just down the street, work will continue on the Octagon House with the society wanting to refinish more rooms.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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