The Rise, Fall, and Revival of a Landmark
“And when he (John Greco) passed maybe the love for that place kind of just slowly dwindled because he wasn’t part of it anymore,” Nick Colabella explained in 2024. Colabella, the graphic design and digital marketing coordinator for the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, provides insight into the history and future of the site known as Holy Land USA.
Colabella graduated from art school in 2021 – quite a span of time from 1958 when the park first opened. Yet Holy Land itself seems to defy time and space. Its iconic cross, turning various colors in conjunction with the liturgical calendar, stands above the “Brass City” as a symbol of hope and revitalization.
John Greco wanted to give Waterbury citizens and others a place of prayer, contemplation, and reflection. A place where one could view models and miniature recreations of scenes from the Bible, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Daniel in the lion’s den, and the Tower of Babel, and ponder their meaning.
In a world where Disneyland was new, Greco wanted to bring the Bible to life. His Italian ancestry and roots in Waterbury enriched the soil of this endeavor. However, Holy Land remains formally closed and has been described as “creepy” in popular media coverage, including regional reporting by NBC Connecticut and WTNH News 8. Developers continue to show interest, while some residents wish the site to be entirely demolished. City officials and developers continue to debate the site’s future.
Pilgrim Way
Born in 1895, Greco grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition. His parents, Vincenzo and Raffaela, instilled a sense of devotion and loyalty in their young son. Greco briefly studied for the priesthood before embarking on a career in law and graduating from Yale in the 1920s.
Greco cared deeply for his Italian ancestry and wished to help the community. He wanted the people of Waterbury to have a place of pilgrimage and reflection as they did across Italy.
Pine Hill, situated just above the city, seemed to be the obvious location. As he established himself and started a family, Greco devoted countless hours to his dream and mission work along the East Coast. Finally, after decades of planning, he purchased the property and construction began on the site.
Faith in Miniature
Building Holy Land was no easy feat. Sourcing materials took time, and Greco’s budget was not always as accommodating as he would have liked. According to William (“Bill”) Fitzpatrick, who has been previously interviewed by local media about the site, “it wasn’t built with money.”
“But he (Greco) went out, so he was quite the beggar,” Fitzpatrick added jokingly. Fitzpatrick coordinates volunteer efforts at Holy Land and has called Pine Hill home for many years.
Everything from hot water heaters to layers of chicken wire and stucco helped create every model and recreation. The site gained a reputation not only as a religious destination but also as a work of folk art. One of the few remaining statues was built with concrete donated by the Fitzpatrick family business.
Eventually, the 18-acre park opened its gates to the public in 1958. Greco’s dream became a reality as thousands of visitors made the trek up Pine Hill. Tourists came from across Connecticut, New England, and beyond. For some Waterbury families, visits became annual traditions, particularly on Easter Sunday. Nearly 40,000 people passed through the gates every year during its peak, according to historical reporting from the Connecticut History | CTHumanities Project.
Fading Vision
By 1984, Holy Land was showing its age. According to contemporary reporting archived by CTHumanities, Greco wanted a “temporary” closing in order to revitalize and repair the site. However, due to failing health, Greco never returned to his beloved project. He passed away in 1986, leaving the property to the Religious Sisters of Filippi. The sisters dedicated themselves to education and occupied a residence near the front gates.
According to reporting by Berlin Patch, several nuns conducted informal tours of the site until 2013, when the land was sold for $350,000 to then-acting mayor Neil O’Leary. The chapel still stands on the property, itself a relic of the original park.
Yet why allow the ruins to remain standing? Nostalgia, curiosity, and church leadership combine to keep the site viable. Cleanup and repair efforts continue today, bringing residents and volunteers back to Pine Hill. “In Scripture, God speaks on mountains,” Rev. Jim Sullivan told The Times of Israel in a January 2025 interview.
“The Italian American community is what built that place and I think there are a lot of Italians around here and other people who would also appreciate it,” Colabella said.
Resurrection
Tragedy struck the mountain on July 15, 2010, when 15-year-old Chloe Ottman was raped and murdered at the foot of the illuminated cross overlooking Waterbury. The crime and subsequent court proceedings were widely reported by NBC Connecticut and WTNH News 8. Francisco Cruz, 19 at the time, later pleaded guilty and received a 55-year prison sentence.
Since then, fewer locals visit the site, according to Colabella. “I think people are afraid of it,” he said in 2024. “Or they don’t want to go anywhere near it, probably because of the incident that happened up there.”
In the following years, attempts to bring Holy Land back to life began but ultimately stalled. Community interest continues through prayer visits, informal tours, and preservation efforts. As the city seeks revitalization, the cross at Holy Land continues to overlook it all.
On November 26, 2025, church and city officials announced a new phase in the site’s history. WTNH News 8 reported on plans to construct new “Stations of the Cross.” The trail will be approximately 0.3 miles through the surrounding woodland.
“As this hill is transformed, and so much of our community is transformed, and the city is transformed, we are really watching Waterbury blossom at this point, and this is all part of it,” Mayor Paul Pernerewski said in comments carried by News 8.
Officials hope to finish construction by Easter 2026. As the cross shines above the busy highway below, the future of Holy Land remains uncertain — but Greco’s dream endures.
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