A heart-shaped tub reminiscent of the glory days of Pocono resorts has found its way to a Slate Belt inn.

The kitschy piece sold in a charitable Valentine's Day auction for $175, according to Teel Auctions in Upper Mount Bethel Township. The bid and a number of individual contributions went to the American Cancer Society.

Chelsea Sun Inn owner James Howard stands in the formal dining room in 2016. He bought a Poconos relic heart-shaped tub in a charity auction and plans to incorporate it somehow into his Upper Mount Bethel Township business. (Sue Beyer | lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

James Howard, who at 19 took over as a partner and operating manager of the Chelsea Sun Inn in the township, placed the winning bid and said he plans to incorporate the two-person, 80-inch retro fixture in his business -- somehow.

It could end up as a bathtub in one of the suites. Or as a fish tank. "It's still a little up in the air what we're going to do with it," he laughed.

But Howard said as fun as it is to own a piece of the area's history, he was more drawn to the charity aspect of the auction.

"I knew people that suffered from cancer," he said. "It's just a very commendable cause."

PHOTOS: Abandoned Poconos resorts

In 2005, Teel Auctions said it sold more than 20 of the tubs when Mt. Airy Lodge transitioned from a resort to a casino.

More than 5,000 bidders from around the country were interested, though most planned to use them for outdoor aquatic gardens, said auction house president Robert C. Teel, a cancer survivor, in a news release.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

 

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