Ghost Town For Sale
Posted on October 5, 2016
Updated on February 4, 2024
Given the time of the year, one would think this is an article related to Halloween.
Not the case at all.
The entire village of Johnsonville, Connecticut is listed on the auction website "auction.com" with a starting bid set at $800,000. The village is located 30 minutes away from Hartford and was once a thriving community, with it's main employment coming from a number of twine mills, that used a nearby river as a power source. The village was constructed in the 19th century, and was mainly made up of housing for the mill workers. In 1924, fire destroyed one of the main mills, which directly impacted the twine industry and it seems, was the beginning of the decline of the village.
Over the years there have been a number of redevelopment efforts. In the 1960s Raymond Schmitt bought the property that makes up the village and tried to turn the area into a tourist attraction, bringing in Vintage and Victorian era buildings and setting them up to on his land.
In 1972, another one of the village's mills burned down, as a result of being struck by lightning. After Schmitt died in 1998, his family started selling off parts of his estate.
Johnsonville has become somewhat of a tourist attraction and has been featured in numerous blogs, National Geographic and also in a music video by Billy Joel.
So for any readers who have at least $800,000 to spare and have always wanted to own a ghost town.... you're not too late to bid....
Happy Halloween!
http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/for-sale-connecticut-ghost-town-complete-with-abandoned-buildings-1.2074726 http://www.damnedct.com/johnsonville-east-haddam
Not the case at all.
The entire village of Johnsonville, Connecticut is listed on the auction website "auction.com" with a starting bid set at $800,000. The village is located 30 minutes away from Hartford and was once a thriving community, with it's main employment coming from a number of twine mills, that used a nearby river as a power source. The village was constructed in the 19th century, and was mainly made up of housing for the mill workers. In 1924, fire destroyed one of the main mills, which directly impacted the twine industry and it seems, was the beginning of the decline of the village.
Over the years there have been a number of redevelopment efforts. In the 1960s Raymond Schmitt bought the property that makes up the village and tried to turn the area into a tourist attraction, bringing in Vintage and Victorian era buildings and setting them up to on his land.
In 1972, another one of the village's mills burned down, as a result of being struck by lightning. After Schmitt died in 1998, his family started selling off parts of his estate.
Johnsonville has become somewhat of a tourist attraction and has been featured in numerous blogs, National Geographic and also in a music video by Billy Joel.
So for any readers who have at least $800,000 to spare and have always wanted to own a ghost town.... you're not too late to bid....
Happy Halloween!
http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/for-sale-connecticut-ghost-town-complete-with-abandoned-buildings-1.2074726 http://www.damnedct.com/johnsonville-east-haddam