Sold! Matson brings $142,000

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PRINCETON — For years, the voices heard at the Matson Public Library were mere whispers among the shelves of books that lined this historic building on Princeton’s Park Avenue West.

But on Saturday, those whispers were replaced with a microphone, a crowd of onlookers, and the bang of the auctioneer’s gable ... the Matson Public Library was sold at public auction on Saturday.

Tom and Mary Tumbleson of Tumbleson Auction Service in Princeton orchestrated the sale in front of a crowd of more than 100 people. Only a handful of interested bidders gave a nod toward the auctioneer, but when it was all said and done, Chicago resident Bob Sash walked away with the building and adjoining lots for $142,000.

Sash was absent from the sale, however, his bid came via a cell phone, as his brothers, Steve and Dennis Sash, continued to bid on the historic building for their brother. Bob Sash is an accountant in the Chicago area. He also owns Tiskilwa Farms Alpacas between Tiskilwa and Buda, where he has more than 100 alpacas.

The bidding started at $50,000. When the bidding stopped after Sash bid $140,000, the Princeton Public Library Board went into closed session to discuss the sale. Upon their return about 30 minutes later, the bidding resumed, but only for a few minutes. Tumbleson’s gable closed the sale at $142,000.

By press time Monday, Sash was unable to be contacted, however, Steve Sash said, “(My brother) is buying it as an investment and will determine what the uses are in the future.”

On Monday, Laurie Bonucci, president of the Princeton Public Library Board, called the sale of the former Matson library a bittersweet event. The library provided a great service to the community for many years, she said.

Overall, she was pleased with the final sale price, though the library board had hoped to get a little bit more, Bonucci said. The Matson building has a lot of value, not only from the bricks and motor but also in the historic and sentimental value, she added.

The money realized from the sale of the property will be kept by the library district, Bonucci said. The board will meet Nov. 19 to discuss options for the use of the money. Personally, she would like to see the board use some of the money to pay down its debt for the new library and then to use the rest of it to develop new programs and services, including a possible scholarship for students going into the library science field.

“We will use that money the best way, the most responsible way we can,” Bonucci said.

The Matson building has been closed for more than a year, since the Aug. 1, 2007, opening of the new Princeton Public Library at 698 E. Peru St.