Hartford’s Mary Borden Munsill House Suffers Another Indignity

The historic Mary Borden Munsill House on Hartford’s South Green is on the market, after suffering through a foreclosure.

The Mary Borden Munsill House Near Hartford’s South Green is up for sale. Photo by Kenneth R. Gosselin/kgosselin@courant.com

In the past few weeks, the 1893, brick-and-brownstone house endured another indignity: thieves broke in a stole a brass fireplace with marble mantelpiece, distinctive for a relief depicting a chariot race.

Rick Chozick, of Chozick Realty in Hartford, which has the listing, said the thieves clearly knew what they were doing: the fireplace was carefully removed from the house’s entrance hall.

Despite the burglary, Chozick said the house retains much of its charm, its original wood doors and etched hinges.

“It’s one of a kind, beautiful,” Chozick said. “It’s not something you can duplicate.”

Read more about the history of the house in my blog post from a year ago.

The 7,700-square-foot house, at 2 Wethersfield Ave., is offered at $290,000 by Berkshire Hills Bank which repossessed the property last year. The price reflects the reality that the house needs renovations, Chozick said.

Chozick said the house could be used for offices or be converted back to residential. So far, Chozick said there have been a handful of preliminary inquiries on potential residential use, but nothing serious. The property went on the market about a month ago.

One catch about using the house as a home: the kitchen was removed when the structure was converted to offices.