Church officials with Iglesia Ni Cristo tour the 62-acre ghost town known as Johnsonville, Connecticut.
The small suburban hamlet of Johnsonville, Connecticut, has sat abandoned for nearly 20 years. After going on and off the market since 2015, the town sold in July for $1.85 million.
International religious organization Iglesia Ni Cristo, also known as INC or Church of Christ, scooped up the 62-acre property with plans to turn it into a recreation and sporting center for members. The Philippines-based church has grown its US real estate portfolio over the years, converting idle lots into permanent gathering places for worship.
Sherri Milkie, the real estate agent on the listing, said she received nearly 100 calls from prospective buyers in the days after a Business Insider article about the property went viral.
"We needed deep pockets and [the INC] said, 'We love this place and we're going to do [what it takes]," Milkie told Business Insider. The church paid cash with no contingencies.
Here's what it's like inside Johnsonville.