MONROE, N.Y. -- When Timothy Mitts and HRR Corporation bought Rest Haven Inc. in Monroe, they didn't know the history that lives inside.
"Initially when we signed the contract, we didn't know much about the facility except it was an adult home residence," Mitts said. "By June of 2016, we had established that Helen Keller was involved in the property."
After finding that out, they dug even further, and learned that she had been involved with running the facility, in connection with the American Foundation for the Blind.
"We had gotten pictures from the American Foundation for the blind and they established for us on this very steps of this house that Helen Keller was there," Mitts said. "It was an overwhelming feeling. It was like wow."
They're now reached out to the state, and the National Register of Historic Places, who will decide in March whether to designate it as a historical site.
In the meantime, Mitts and the HRR Corporation have been working on renovating the building, something he says is now an honor.
"Knowing that Helen was here, it just adds to everything we are doing here," Mitts said.
So far, they have put in three month's worth of work, and almost $300,000 into the building.
They are looking to re-establish it as an adult residence home, but Mitts feels the building is important to the community around it.
"To know that your village of Monroe has such a rich history of this property, by an internationally known name," Mitts said. "I expect it will also increase tourism to Monroe."
Mitts says they will open the building for regularly scheduled tours in the future.