Condemned House on Chestnut Street Razed

Kitty Vargas said she was "rejoicing" at the sight of the excavator tearing apart the eyesore next door, the burned-out house in the middle of Chestnut Street which had been her childhood home.

"I grew up in the building," said Vargas, who was watching the action along with several other neighbors – many of them family, including her mom, Elsie Frost, and aunt, Dawn Frost. 

The large multi-family structure at 47 Chestnut was left uninhabitable following the 2011 fire. It has been an eyesore and an nuisance, attracting stray animals and, most recently a skunk family, which had to be evicted, said Elsie Frost.

Habitat for Humanity has been approved for plans to rebuild two 2-family units in that spacea, which should be move-in ready in 2014. Applicants are being considered and will invest some "sweat equity" into the homes.

Frost said she is one of 13 children, and that she and her family members have lived in this part of the neighborhood for more than 30 years.

"When the fire happened my brother was renting the front, my Aunt Norma rented out the bottom and my mom rented a unit in the back," she said. "It's just a shame to see it come down, with all the family history we had there. I've been worried about the kids getting in there, and then we had the skunks."

Thanks to Tom Lopez for his photo contributions, including the cool aerial view. Lopez works across the street at the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter.