Auction held at historic Locke Ober restaurant

BOSTON (WHDH) -- An auction in downtown Boston marked the end of an era.

A taste of history was on the auction block in Boston on Friday -- about 250 items from the landmark restaurant Locke Ober were up for grabs to the highest bidder.

“You pretty much have two categories of items. You’ve got the one category that would fall under memorabilia and you’ve got a second category that would fall under your typical restaurant furniture, fixtures and equipment,” said auctioneer Michael Saperstein.

Everything from old menus to dishes, to a hand-carved mahogany pool table and old photos were for sale.

Many who shared memories in the restaurant attended the auction to see if they could own a piece of their past.

“I just came here looking for stuff that reminded me of the good times we had here,” said Juan Prieto, a longtime customer.

The dining establishment shut its doors in October after 137 years in business.

“We wanted to give everyone an opportunity who wanted to get some type of souvenir from the place,” said Michael Fallman, the new property owner.

Close to 100 people went to the Winter Street site to bid on three floors worth of goods, while another 80 simultaneously bid online.

“Just looking, just shopping to see if I can get a great deal,” said Wayne Cintolo, who attended the auction.

“I’m certainly not interested in the knives and forks and plates, but they have some historic menus which are interesting,” said Jim O’Connell, who attended the auction.

Everyone has to be removed from the restaurant by Wednesday. The downstairs floors will be restored and remain an eatery while the upstairs is set to be luxury condos.