HARTFORD, Conn. — It has been an eyesore on Capitol Avenue for years, but that’s about to change. Just across the street from the Hartford Armory sits a three-story Victorian home built in 1890. The abandoned house is now being tended to by Hartford Habitat for Humanity, and the site is alive again with construction workers and planners bringing the house back to life.
“It’s an incredible old Victorian here in Hartford. It was abandoned years ago and our partners at Emanuel Church purchased it and partnered with us to remodel the property,” said Chris McKelvie, the director of construction for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut.
Because the house is in such proximity to the Hartford Armory, leaders at Hartford Habitat are looking for a deserving military family to take the keys when the job is complete.
Habitat for Humanity house renovation in Hartford
On the house lot that is being transformed, Tracy Thomas, the family service director at Hartford Habitat for Humanity, underscored the importance of the project.
“It’s special because they’ve given to us, they’ve supported us, they’ve protected us, so to give back, just to give back to a veteran,” Thomas said.
Hammering and sawing both inside and outside of the house, 81-year-old Bob McNally has been volunteering for Habitat for over two decades. McNally mentioned that he grew up just a block or two from the house, and he used to walk by it each day on his way to school.
“It’s wonderful to be back here and see this thing being preserved," McNally said. "It’s just sort of the continuity of the community.”
The estimates are that the house project won’t be completed until at least December, in the meantime Habitat Hartford is looking for military family candidates who are interested in applying to take ownership of the home. To learn more, click here.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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