Real Estate Journal — Pennsylvania — January 11 - 24, 2019 — 3C
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M id A tlantic
P ennsylvania Johannes Spitler chest up for auction Hurley Auctions to hold auction preview Thursday, January 17, 2019
REENCASTLE, PA — Through January 19, 2019, Hurley Auc- tions will be holding a public online auction of rare antiques and Civil War items. Among the most prominent pieces is a Johannes Spitler paint deco- rated blanket chest which will surely garner intense interest from prominent dealers and collectors. Johannes Spitler (1774-1837) of Shenandoah Valley VA is well known for his rural art- istry and stylization in folk art paint decorated furniture. He first made his home in a Men- nonite community in Shenan- doah County, VA. His work often included themes from a German-American culture and art, but there was also a mix of modern and traditional aesthetics. Many of his pieces are well documented and found mostly in major museums and institutions. Previous Spitler items include a paint decorated hanging cupboard that sold for $962,500 and other paint deco- rated blanket chests that sold for $288,000- and $365,500-. The chest is being sold from the estate of Chester Wayne Miller of Boonsboro, MD. Wayne was an eccentric collec- tor for over 60 years. According to his sister, “He was very quiet man and no one would have ever known of his collection. He was very reserved and humble. He loved to collect and claimed to be a antique dealer." When Matt Hurley of Hur- ley Auctions first met with the family he had no idea what G
ceiling in every room including the basement, attic, porch and sheds with small walk ways to navigate the maze. The Spitler chest was the prize treasure which was found buried in the bedroom. Matt Hurley the owner of Hurley Auctions said he couldn’t believe it when he saw the Splitter chest. They had conducted several auctions working through the mounds of treasures that were hauled out of his home. When Matt asked the fam- ily about the chest they had no idea Wayne had the chest because it had been buried
in his bedroom for years. He would hint that he had a chest that was very special but he was very humble and private and never elaborated. For more information, con- tact Hurley Auctions at 866- 424-3337 or visit them at www.hurleyauctions.com. If potential buyers would like to bid in person, Hurley Auc- tions will have staff on site at their office the evening of the auction. There is an auction preview Thursday, January 17, 2019 from 12noon to 5pm and the offices will be open the night of the auction from 6:00- 7:30pm.
Johannes Spitler paint decorated blanket chest.
would eventually come out of the modest home and numer- ous sheds that surrounded it. They eventually ended up
hauling nine 26-foot trailer trucks of treasures out of the home. The home was a maze of antiques stacked floor to
Pennsylvania
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Real Estate Journal Phone: 781-740-2900 Fax: 781-740-2929 www.marejournal.com
A ccount E xecutive Marisol Chase marisol@marejournal.com S ection E ditor Karen Vachon kjoy@marejournal.com
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