Iglesia Ni Cristo buys Connecticut ghost town

A sign declares no trespassing allowed in an abandoned house on the grounds of a long-abandoned, 62-acre village in East Haddam, Connecticut that Iglesia Ni Cristo bought. AP PHOTO

EAST HADDAM, Connecticut— A long-abandoned, 62-acre village in the Connecticut countryside has been purchased by the Iglesia Ni Cristo church.

It’s the second “ghost town” to be repurposed by the religious group, which also bought a small town in South Dakota in 2011.

Officials in East Haddam, Connecticut, say they are relieved that the property has been taken over by a new owner that plans to restore the 19th century buildings that have been falling into disrepair in recent decades. First Selectman Emmett Lyman says there is also curiosity over what exactly the church has planned.

Church official Jojo Crisostomo said no plans for the property have been finalized, but a chapel will likely be restored as a new house of worship.