Flood destroys Newtown home that’s been passed down for 6 generations

NEWTOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — A home passed down for six generations in Sandy Hook was destroyed by rushing water during Sunday’s storm.

Countless birthday parties, holidays and weddings happened at the picturesque red house along the river on Old Station House Road.

Dennis Bradshaw grew up in the house. He said his great, great grandfather originally bought the property and used it as a campsite during the summer. Then, family members built a cottage where Dennis’ mother, Carol, visited with her parents on weekends. Carol later took over the home from her uncle and became a caretaker of the property for decades.

“I thought I was going to stay here for a couple years but it’s been 55 years,” Carol said. “We never left. We raised six kids in a little house.”

Dennis and his mother Carol walked around the home Tuesday morning, finding photos swept away in the flood. The area around the home flooded in minutes, eventually washing away the foundation of the home and the garage.

“By the time we went to leave, it was like a river coming through the front,” Carol said.

All of the water eroded the property leaving rocks instead of grass. A tree later fell onto the home, splitting it in half.

“It’s going to be a long shot, if we’re even going to rebuild here or try to salvage the house if any of it is salvageable,” Dennis said.

Carol was a school bus driver for more than 30 years and her husband Dennis is a retired K9 officer. They dedicated their careers to their community, welcoming the neighborhood to their home with open arms.

“Everybody felt at a home here because it was someplace everybody came to,” Carol said.

They hope to save the house to bring it back to what it once was.

“Right now it’s just a hustle to find everything we can to salvage a hundred years of family history,” Dennis said.

The property was built by the Bradshaw’s and their relatives. They want to repair everything here so they can pass on the home to future generations but like many other families affected by the flood, the fate of their home is unknown as the long process of rebuilding is only just beginning.

The Bradshaw’s have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for repairs to their family home.

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