WATERFORD — Scores of people from as far away as Bethel and Newry came to the Wilkins Community House on Friday to see if their piece of family history or yard sale find is a true antique and how much it might be worth.

From a crewel fireplace screen to wooden toys and a 1638 Dutch Bible, dozens of people gathered at the building on Plummer Hill Road with their treasures wrapped in garbage bags or other protection from the heavy rain that pelleted the region.

Outside in a large van, personnel from Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston patiently waded through the antiques and collectibles, telling their owners what they had and a possible value for it.

Although patrons said the wait was long, they were excited to have their items appraised.

Waterford Library librarian Dorthe Hillquist said this is the first antique appraisal they have held.

“It really started out with a donated painting that we wanted appraised,” she said. The landscape was done by noted Portland architect John Calvin Stevens, who was the architect of the library.

After reviewing the firm’s webpage, they realized the auction galley offers free appraisal to nonprofits. The idea was born to open it up to the public as a fundraiser for building improvements.

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries Mobile Appraisal Laboratory is the first-of-its-kind, 36-foot motor coach equipped with state-of-the-art appraisal tools and reference materials, according to information from the gallery. Instant valuations were conducted on a first-come, first-served basis by Kaja Veilleux and John D. Bottero.

“We have been doing free appraisals every week at our Thomaston Gallery for more than 25 years,” Veilleux, president of Thomaston Place, said in an earlier statement. “We are very excited to be able to take this service on the road and support the worthwhile programs of the Waterford Library.”

Patrons were asked to donate $10 for a single item and $25 for three. Many people opted to bring in three items.

Andrea Bennett of Newry and Sandra Seaver of Bethel had two plates with Napoleon and Josephine pictures on them, a 1638 Dutch Bible rebound by the family in 1872, and an old chair manufactured in New York.

Hillquist said she was pleased and surprised by the large turnout.

The library is a Colonial Revival style building designed by Stevens and his son, John Howard Stevens. This firm was also responsible for the rebuilding of the second story after the 1937 fire at the library. The library is part of the Waterford Flats Historic District and underwent a major renovation in 2011.

That renovation included reinforcement of the main structural beam, adding insulation, constructing a small kitchen and adding heating on the second floor to provide year-round reading and meeting space, additional shelving and repairing and painting walls and ceilings.

ldixon@sunjournal.com