By D.M.Livingston|Published Dec 31, 2025

Waterbury- Another piece of Waterbury history is officially gone.

Yesterday, demolition crews tore down the 1895 Victorian Queen Anne–style mansion at 5 Johnson Street, sitting on the corner of Willow Street. After years of sitting vacant and multiple attempts to save it, the nearly 6,000-square-foot historic home was finally reduced to rubble, ending a 130-year presence on one of the city’s most recognizable corners.

From Willow Street, the house still showed signs of the craftsmanship that once made it special. The side facing Johnson Street featured half-timbering, a design detail usually seen on Tudor-style homes—not Queen Annes. Only about 5 percent of Queen Anne houses ever had that feature, making this home a rare build even by 19th-century standards.

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One of the home’s standout features was its square tower. Back in the late 1800s, towers were a status symbol—something only wealthy homeowners could afford. Towers came in round, polygonal, and square shapes, but square towers like this one were the least common, adding to the home’s uniqueness.

The exterior was also covered in scalloped shingle siding, often called fish scale shingles, a decorative detail that gave the house texture and character rarely seen in modern construction.

One thing noticeably missing at the time of demolition was a porch. Historians believe the house may have originally had one—possibly one or even two stories high—complete with ornate spindlework that would’ve matched the home’s elaborate design. If it was there, time and neglect erased it.

The property had been abandoned since 2009. In 2015, it was purchased by the Waterbury Housing Authority, but the condition of the structure proved overwhelming. Restoration costs were high, redevelopment plans stalled, and the building continued to deteriorate. Eventually, the city ruled the mansion too far gone to save.

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For years, the house stood as a quiet reminder of Waterbury’s past—weathered, empty, but still holding onto its architectural identity. Now, that corner looks different.

This wasn’t just an old house coming down. It was another example of how historic properties disappear—not because they lack beauty or value, but because time, money, and long-term neglect catch up.

As Waterbury continues to grow and change, the loss of the Johnson and Willow mansion raises familiar questions about historic preservation, investment, and what gets saved—and what doesn’t.

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