What is best approach for adding Web component to existing application

I wish to modernize a legacy .NET WPF application by replacing the existing UI front end with web page(HTML5/MVC). Although I'm not too familiar with modern web frameworks I have kind of settled on ASP.NET MVC5 as Microsoft stack is my comfort zone.

Some further points : this legacy app currently communicates with real hardware via traditional windows service. UI -> Service -> h/w custom remoting pattern using tcp telegrams...this is also something I'd like to modernize with web services or WCF...but I don't know much about either of these.
Basically given my lack of experience in things like WCF, web services in general I'm a bit confused on what are the best replacements for the remoting are i.e. How will my new MVC Model/Controller communicate with my exisitng WPF hardware driver class. Is this what WCF is meant for?

Lastly would it be better to start with a new MVC Solution and then add to this my legacy classes as references? Or vice-versa where I add MVC project to the existing solution?

Sorry if this question betrays a lot of confusion...

Any advice most welcome...Thanks