Tag Sale - Mid Century Modern and More - Christian Theological Seminary

A truly unique 2 day tag sale of many of the original furnishings of the Christian Theological Seminary held in the auditorium of CTS. Sale includes an abundance of mid century furnishings appointed by the original architectural firm of Edward Larrabee Barnes, which heavily leaned towards Scandinavian furniture designs of the period. Included in the sale is furniture by Arne Jacobsen, Ilmari Tapiovaara, Olavi Hanninen, Henning Jensen & Torben Valeur, Charles Eames, Giancarlo Piretti, Edward Axel Roffman and more. Quantities on most items.

Also available are a large quantity of chairs, desks, filing cabinets, tables, office furniture (some newer) and much, much more. Literally hundreds of pieces. Great opportunity for organizations looking for large quantities of used office furniture. We will be adding more pictures leading up to the sale.

Sale rules and etiquette:

This is a two day tag sale. Everything will have fixed prices, and will not be available prior to the sale. All prices are firm the first day. Many items will be discounted on the second day. Everything is sold as is and will need to be removed by the end of each sale day. Please bring help.

Doors will open at 10 am each day. No early access. We will have directional signage from the parking lot to the single entrance point to the theater. We will have a sign up sheet outside the access point 2 hours before the sale. Access to the entry point of the theater will not be available until just before the doors open.

We ask that you be respectful of the grounds and especially the interior of the building and theater in particular. We will have a strict access point, and will have barriers to the rest of the building. We also ask that you be respectful with one and other before and during the sale. We reserve the right to remove anyone found roaming other areas of the building or acting in an inappropriate or rude fashion. CTS is a quiet, working facility, so we ask that you respect that. 

Parking and pickup:

Parking will be available in the west lot, and northeast lot by the chapel. Follow the directional signage from there. Not sure if street parking is allowed or not. There is a small loading dock or area where all items will be removed from. Please be respectful and patient of others entering and leaving this limited area.

CTS history:

The Christian Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). CTS was founded by abolitionists as part of North Western Christian University in 1855. North Western Christian University became Butler University in 1877; in 1958, CTS became a freestanding institution. The Disciples and CTS share a long history of encouraging unity among Christian denominations and other faiths.

The mid century modernist campus building was designed by renowned architect Edward Larrabee Barnes (who studied under Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer) in 1961, and was occupied by the CTS faculty and staff in the winter of 1966. Two more additions were added, both designed by Barnes: the library in 1977, and the Sweeney Chapel in 1987. The landscape grounds were designed by notable landscape architect Dan Kiley.

J. Irwin Miller, who was chairman of Cummins Inc, and responsible for the modernist architectural mecca in Columbus, IN and lay leader of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), guided the process in choosing the modernist style of the building and campus, and eventually choosing Barnes. His selection came through the recommendation of Eero Saarinen, who was originally tapped by Miller to design the building, but couldn’t after he realized he couldn’t give the project the priority needed to meet the school’s desired schedule.