Hartford
Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brad Vail said on Tuesday many of the cottage owners don’t live in the area, so authorities haven’t yet been able to find out what, if anything, was taken in the early morning act.
Regardless, the people who broke into about a half-dozen cottages at the Christian meeting camp off Route 5 caused significant damage, said caretaker Joe Trottier, who lives on the grounds.
The incident was the first of its kind.
“We have had minor vandalism before,” Trottier said. “But this is the first break-in with major damage.”
Trottier spent a good portion of Monday morning boarding up windows and doors that had been kicked in and installing hefty padlocks.
One cottage suffered more damage than the others, he said. The front door was kicked in, a glass-topped table that contained heirlooms or memorabilia was smashed and a television was thought to be stolen.
“They went through every single room, emptying every drawer,” Trottier said.
Trottier and another man were the only two people residing in cottages on the grounds at the time of the incident.
The other man, Tom Lossee, recalled hearing a car pull in around 2 a.m., but figured the vehicle had left, according to Trottier. Around 4:30 a.m., the vehicle was still at the campground but no one was with it.
Trottier noticed the damage around 10 a.m. Monday morning.
Trottier said he thinks the incident is related to the drug epidemic.
“People are looking for something to steal to make money,” Trottier said. “They aren’t hitting a rich target. Most are working-class people (at the camp).”
The camp dates back to 1887 and comprises about 30 buildings. The site has been eyed for historic designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
The incident likely will lead to increased security measures on the grounds, Trottier said.
Police don’t have a “solid” lead on who may have committed the act, but the investigation is ongoing.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.