Check Out This "Ghost" Town For Sale!

Paranormal enthusiasts would probably love to own a haunted house but what about an entire village? There’s just that two hours from New York City in Johnsonville, Connecticut. Location

The 52 acre parcel of land was once a thriving mill community, then a Victorian Era tourist attraction, it’s now an abandoned ghost town, stuck in limbo waiting for someone to either come and restore it or to knock it down.
Originally founded in the early 19th century, Johnsonville was home to a number of twine mills, who used the Moodus River as a power source.



In the early 1960s, Raymond Schmitt, the somewhat eccentric owner of AGC Corporation, an aerospace equipment manufacturer, bought the property with unclear intentions. He seemed to want to make it a tourist attraction, but despite making an effort to, never really officially did so. After Schmitt took possession of the property, he purchased other vintage buildings and had them moved to Johnsonville, including a Victorian stable and chapel, which hosted weddings. Schmitt didn’t formally run tours on the property, but he did open the property for visitors on a regular basis. He also allowed special events including charity benefits and weddings. He also had an exceptional collection of antique horse-drawn carriages, which he displayed in the livery stable.



One of the jewels is the Emory Johnson homestead. Built in 1846 by the son-in-law of one of the original owners of the mill, the four-bedroom house has three fireplaces, pillared porches, a formal garden and original Victorian-era details. In later years it served as a museum depicting décor and furnishings of the 1800s.

A small one-and-a-half story single-family dwelling was built in 1900. A two-story Colonial-style house was built in 1846. The remaining residence is a two-story dwelling built in 1800.

The office, overlooking the 15-acre Johnson Millpond, was built in 1899. The former location of the Neptune mill office, the building was once a post office. The Gilead Chapel, which seats approximately 75 worshippers, was built in 1876 and moved to the village from Waterford in the late 1960s.

No one knows the exact age of the one-room Hyde School, which was the original schoolhouse for the community of East Haddam. The Red House Restaurant was built in 1900 and has been renovated into a restaurant/banquet facility for 150-200 people. A clock and toy store, originally used as a meeting house, was built in the 1800s; Frank General Store was built in 1845 in Peru, Mass.

The Gilbert Livery Stable was reportedly built in Winsted in 1920. Its three levels contain oak stalls with unusual woodwork, including bead board and raised panels. All of this is in a beautiful setting with views of the river, a millpond, island, waterfall and some man-made features such as a covered bridge, wooden dam, paddle wheel riverboat.

While "no trespassing" signs are posted, you can drive through the middle of the village and take photos. It is currently on the market for a minimum bid of $800,000.



Rumors have it that the Village of Johnsonville is home to several spirits, most notably the spirit of Schmitt. Schmitt planned to return the town to its former glory, but died before he was able to complete his plan. The rumor is that Schmitt’s spirit remains on the site to protect the town he loved.

Other rumored residents of the Village of Johnsonville are the spirits of mill workers whose bodies were customarily laid out in the parlor of the stately Johnson House before their burial.

I think the ghost stories are being spread to drum up attention to the auction, especially this time of year. However, if I had several million burning a hole in my pocket, I would love to buy the place and turn it into some kind of bed & breakfast/antiques/retreat type of place. Very cool place with lots of history and architecture.

That looks beautiful. Not to mention own a town create your own community, that would be awesome.

Wish i had a couple million id buy it no questions asked!!!
S&F

That is gorgeous! If I had the money......

a reply to: jtrenthacker

That is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Maybe everyone on ATS could throw in some money and purchase it. Call it "Top Secret Town". We could have an ATS convention there once a year.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

hahahaha... that would be cool wouldn't it?

gorgeous!! 800K bargain!!

Or we could make a ATS COMMUNITY!!! a reply to: jtrenthacker

a reply to: ATF1886

That would be a scary place!!!

originally posted by: jtrenthacker
Maybe everyone on ATS could throw in some money and purchase it. Call it "Top Secret Town". We could have an ATS convention there once a year.

Nice idea! Wouldn't that be cool?

lol!

I'd buy the entire thing and pretend I was the last man on Earth. Leave it undeveloped, maintain it just enough that the buildings won't fall.

Youd have some of the brightest but scariest minds in a city i think wed run the ghosts out!!! a reply to: jtrenthacker

How about a Walking Dead paintball game? Have people pay to play. Hire some "zombies" to chase them through the town. That would be fun!

That's the place featured on a 'American Pickers' episode last year or so, I think they bought one of/or the school's bell.There's likely video of the place.



Actually, I probably meant the 'Abandoned' series.

www.youtube.com...

Those pictures are beautiful. That little town looks like a photographers dream. I bet it's especially pretty in the fall. It would take a lot of money to keep it up. Someone very wealthy would have to buy it. I hope the town can be preserved.

Be a great place to start a cult!

I wonder If I could get this kickstarted?

Wicked... I think anyone with the money would buy it...

Im not so sure about the whole ATS village thing... a community of conspiracy theorists?

We'd be invaded by the government real quick... labeled a death cult, or a cult planning on overthrowing the government

Then we'd all get mowed down by fanatical cops...

You'd hear about it on every new station across the US and Canada... then they'd try to shut this website down because this is where it all started..

Sounds like fun, Whos in?

originally posted by: Akragon
Wicked... I think anyone with the money would buy it...

Im not so sure about the whole ATS village thing... a community of conspiracy theorists?

We'd be invaded by the government real quick... labeled a death cult, or a cult planning on overthrowing the government

Then we'd all get mowed down by fanatical cops...

You'd hear about it on every new station across the US and Canada... then they'd try to shut this website down because this is where it all started..

Sounds like fun, Whos in?