By Tim Binnall
Fans of a nearly century-old collection of curious buildings tucked away in the woods of a Connecticut town are concerned for the future of the so-called 'Fairy Forest' due to a forthcoming highway project. According to a local media report, the small stone structures were built during the Great Depression by a man attempting to open a nursery business in the community of Middlebury. When the endeavor went bust, the buildings remained in the forest and, over the ensuing decades, the site became a local legend.
"I'm asked about this more than any other thing in town," marveled Middlebury Town Historian Robert Rafford, "I got a call from Japan, somebody was doing a story about it for a Japanese newspaper. It's unique and it inspires people to think about what it could be." That sense of wonder has recently turned to worry, however, as many fear that a planned highway project situated close to the site could wind up ultimately causing it to be destroyed.
Sounding the alarm about the situation, Rafford has called upon the state of Connecticut to declare the Fairy Forest a historical site and, as such, provide it with some protection in the face of the highway project. For their part, the state's Department of Transportation has indicated that they are "aware of the village," but stressed that it is "too early to say if that area will be impacted." As such, it remains to be seen whether or not efforts to save the site will be successful or if it will wind up becoming merely a fond Middlebury memory.