Restore Donald Whittle's Dream After Flood

Dear Friends and Community,

My Dad, Donald Whittle, has been a Southbury resident for 35 years. His property is a Southbury landmark, the Wakely Plow Shop resides on the Southbury town seal. The plow shop served as a saw mill, a grist mill, and was later rebuilt as “Charles Wakelee’s Plow Factory” in the 1820s. The property was also home to the storage barn, an antique fixture that sat north of the plow shop, and my Dad’s home which both date back to the 1800s.

It has always been my Dad’s dream to restore the “old plow shop” to operating condition with true, historical parts. So much so that we spent many fun weekends at “rusty tool shows” that are now favorite past times of mine. Growing up, I watched my Dad fully restore the stone walls, creating a beautiful dam and waterways on the property. He had recently restored the storage barn to beautiful condition and the Wakeley Plow Shop was next on his list.

However, on 8/18 there was a devastating disaster due to the severe flooding in Connecticut. His home was severely damaged with approximately a foot of standing water. Carefully crafted stone walls no longer exist. The storage barn which housed over 40 years of tools, his work truck, and all of my favorite “rusty” parts to restore the plow shop, was leveled. The items have been scattered, most gone forever.

My Dad has spent all of his working years restoring homes for others. He has a special place in his heart (and his craft) for anything that boasts history and charm. He had finally taken the recent years to focus on his own home and his dreams of restoring the property.

I am raising funds to help my Dad recover and rebuild this dream. Things are, in fact, just things and we are so thankful he is safe. However, I would love to help restore the memories that were washed away with this flood. Your contributions will go directly toward essential repairs, replacing lost vehicles, and covering immediate expenses during this challenging time.

So if you know him as “The Animal”, Donny Whittle, Big Don, or as my Dad …please consider any amount of donation. I’m sure he’s helped you out (or grabbed you a cold one) along the way!

Thank you for your kindness and generosity!