The small village of Johnsonville in Connecticut has a fascinating history. The 62-acre town was once a large community filled with twine mills. It was then purchased by an eccentric businessman who turned it into a tourist attraction. When those plans failed, it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. A few years ago, the village was sold to a Filipino church. Today, Johnsonville is a ghost town in Connecticut that’s waiting for its next life.
Johnsonville first rose to fame in the mid-1800s as the “Twine Capital of America.” It was home to several twine mills that were powered by the nearby Moodus and Salmon rivers.
Johnsonville Village, East Haddam CT./The Urban Archaeologist/Youtube
Several of the most prominent mills were owned by Emory Johnson, whose beautiful Victorian home still stands today. The area of worker housing that popped up alongside the mills would eventually become Johnsonville.
John Phelan/Wikimedia Commons The mills closed in the 1900s as the demand for twine diminished. A few of the mills eventually burned down, though some of the buildings remain.
In 1965, a businessman named Raymond Schmitt purchased the land that was once Johnsonville. He also bought several old buildings, including a stable and church, and had them erected in Johnsonville.
Johnsonville Village, East Haddam CT./The Urban Archaeologist/Youtube
Schmitt purchased an old-fashioned steamboat at an auction from a New York theme park that was going out of business. He had the boat towed to Johnsonville and it sat on the village’s pond.
Johnsonville Village, East Haddam CT./The Urban Archaeologist/Youtube
Schmitt’s goal seemed to be to turn the area into a Victorian-themed tourist attraction, but most of his plans fell through. Johnsonville never really took off and few tourists visited.
Johnsonville Village, East Haddam CT./The Urban Archaeologist/Youtube After a dispute with city officials over the zoning of the area, Schmitt ended up scrapping his plans and putting Johnsonville up for sale.
Ideas were bandied about for uses for the property, including a senior citizen housing development and a hotel. The entire town was purchased for $1.85 million in 2017 by a Filipino Christian church.
James Walsh/Flickr The church is slowly renovating the buildings on the property and hopes to turn them into structures used for worship.
Check out this great video from Youtube user The Urban Archaeologist, who visited Johnsonville in 2018:
The small village of Johnsonville in Connecticut has a fascinating history. The 62-acre town was once a large community filled with twine mills. It was then purchased by an eccentric businessman who turned it into a tourist attraction. When those plans failed, it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. A few years ago, the village was sold to a Filipino church. Today, Johnsonville is a ghost town in Connecticut that’s waiting for its next life.
Johnsonville Village, East Haddam CT./The Urban Archaeologist/Youtube
John Phelan/Wikimedia Commons
The mills closed in the 1900s as the demand for twine diminished. A few of the mills eventually burned down, though some of the buildings remain.
After a dispute with city officials over the zoning of the area, Schmitt ended up scrapping his plans and putting Johnsonville up for sale.
James Walsh/Flickr
The church is slowly renovating the buildings on the property and hopes to turn them into structures used for worship.
Did you know the fascinating history of this once-thriving community? What other ghost towns in Connecticut would you like to learn more about? Share your opinions in the comments!
For another creepy place to visit in Connecticut, check out this hike that leads to an abandoned village!
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Address: East Haddam, CT, USA
