If you have $800,000 to spare, you could soon be the new owner of a Connecticut ghost town.
The long-abandoned village of Johnsonville, located in the Moodus section of East Haddam, will be up for auction later this month.
The historic 62-acre property is nestled between two state parks and once housed restaurants and hosted holiday events. It also served as the set for a couple movies – and a Billy Joel music video.
But the buildings have sat empty for decades.
Johnsonville’s current owners, who purchased the property in 2008, are selling off the ghost town in a worldwide auction that runs from Oct. 28 to 30.
Town officials hope the village’s new owners will breathe life back into the area.
“We want it to go to an owner who wants to invest and bring it back to what it once was,” said East Haddam First Selectman Mark Walter. “We’re looking forward to working with whoever buys the property to achieve that.”
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The starting bid is $800,000.
