NEW PALESTINE — Walking through the front double doors onto the wood floors that give just a little with each step, it’s almost like walking back in time.
The big, white Hendryx house, an old barn some 9,000 square feet in size, was once the site of town gatherings and social happenings. But it also was mainly a home for the couple who dedicated their lives to helping make New Palestine a thriving town in its early days.
Now, their extensive collection of antiques, some dating to the late 19th century, is going on the auction block, along with the rest of the property.
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Max and Mildred Hendryx bought the old barn, 7103 W. U.S. 52, in 1972, refurbished it and decided to make it their home in 1974. They both lived there well into their 90s until they died, within days of each other, in December of 2017.
The barn, with its unusual design for home living, along with its contents, has been the focus of several stories throughout the years in newspapers and magazines around the state.
Since the passing of the couple, the Hendryx family, (Hendryx Mortuary, New Palestine and Cumberland), has tried to figure out what they wanted to do with the property. That includes the contents of the barn, filled with hundreds of antique items, some dating as far back as the late 1800s.
After collecting all the things they cared to keep, the Hendryx family decided to have an estate sale, open to the public, so others could enjoy some of the many historical keepsakes the couple collected through the years.
And there’s plenty.
John Wanat and Hilda Mueller, two professional antique dealers and estate sale planners, are having an estate sale on the property to liquidate the remaining contents of the barn from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 3.
“This is a very unique place,” Wanat said. “Almost everything in here is antique.”
The two antique professionals get to know their customers through the items in their homes, because most times they never have a chance to meet the people whose property they liquidate. With the Hendryx barn, they’ve learned a great deal about the couple.
“They loved antiques, preserving them and living with history,” Wanat said. “It takes a special person to live in a place like this.”
Wanat noted it was easy to see Mildred had a real passion for history.
From vintage and collectible antique furniture, to china, porcelain, glassware, silver, quilts, lighting, rugs and more, antique lovers will find a haven in the Hendryx barn.
“We both really appreciate a sale like this because we are both antique dealers, and the family appreciates what their parents have collected,” Mueller said.
All items in the house, garage, and on the grounds will be up for sale. The Barn house and property, over five acres, will be up for sale as well.
Family members feel good about having the sale and said they can’t take everything their parents collected through the years and the sale will be a way of sharing the items they loved.
A list of items can be viewed by visiting estatesales.net or the Lafayette Jeff Antique Show page on Facebook.
