About Us

Our Founder, John Powers (seated), and original staff

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Selling quality preowned items is as old as common sense. Yankee frugality and global knowledge came together and spawned the concept of creating a used building materials store here in Connecticut. John Powers, a Connecticut native, had seen building materials being reused all over the U.S. and abroad. Wanting his own community to have the same opportunity, he connected with enthusiastic people who shared his practical vision. Together, they founded The ReCONNstruction Center in 2003. Our Name The name of The ReCONNstruction Center came to light after thinking about what our goals were and where we were going to be located. The “Re” stands for Reuse and Recycle; CONN is an abbreviation for the state of Connecticut, in which we are incorporated; and “reconstruct” means to construct again. Put it all together, and the term “ReCONNstruction” symbolizes the rebirth of a building that incorporates used materials.

Donations: The ReCONNstruction Center functions similarly to a Salvation Army thrift or Goodwill Store, except that instead of accepting donated clothing and household goods, The ReCONNstruction Center accepts donations of unwanted, but perfectly usable building materials and fixtures. Find out more about our guidelines for donations. These materials are inventoried, priced, and displayed at the store to encourage shoppers to use the store as a resource. The Federal Government subsidizes environmental conservation, so donors are entitled to a charitable donation receipt that can be used to claim a tax deduction. The ReCONNstruction Center is open to the general public and is staffed by paid employees and volunteers.