Check Out This Forgotten Fairy Village In Waterbury, Connecticut

Published on October 11, 2022
In the heart of Middlebury, Connecticut, there’s a collection of small houses found in the woods. It’s called “Little People’s Village” by most, but others refer to it lovingly as “Fairy Village.” Some people believe it’s cursed and creepy, but others think it’s haunted.

There are countless versions of the story surrounding these small buildings and who, if anyone, lived in them. Those who have gone to the site call it disturbing and captivating, but there’s definitely a history for this abandoned fairy village.

This is a private property, and you should not seek to visit it without the express permission of the owners. It’s unknown who they are or if they currently allow tourists.

Exploring Fairy Village

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, most people were told to shelter in place. That meant staying away from others, and some adventurers decided to take a stroll around the abandoned fairy village in Waterbury, CT. What they found was shocking!

Exploring Fairy Village

Exploring Fairy Village

Little People Village

There’s a legend surrounding Little People Village, which tells the story of a husband and wife. Some think she was a witch who lived in the Waterbury woods in a stone house. She started seeing fairy-like little people wandering the woods close to the home.

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Little People Village

Little People Village

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The Story Starts

Little People’s Village got a story attached to it in 1924. William Joseph Lannen bought a tract of land so that he could build a gas station. That failed miserably, so he turned the space into a nursery to grow beautiful flowers and trees.

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The Story Starts

The Story Starts

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A Condo Complex for Little People

The wife begged her husband to build a miniature village so that those little people had a place to live. She couldn’t bear to see them fending for themselves in the woods without shelter and hoped that they might be her friend.

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A Condo Complex For Little People

A Condo Complex For Little People

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A Different Legend

Other people heard a different version of this legend. Here, the old man was driven insane because he heard the small creatures talking all the time. They wouldn’t leave him alone and demanded that he build a village for them.

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A Different Legend

A Different Legend

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Yet Another Legend

One more urban legend popped up around the same time. It told the story of the train side attraction, which was built for a local amusement park. Now called Quassy, the owners say that this isn’t true, though it’s hard to tell for sure.

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Yet Another Legend

Yet Another Legend

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Kind of Creepy

You can see the throne, which appears to be carved by a great carpenter or builder. According to DamnedCT.com, the king of the little creatures ordered it to be created and placed right in that spot. No one really knows why.

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Kind Of Creepy

Kind Of Creepy

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The Throne

Paranormal experts and ghost hunters have been called to the site numerous times to explain what’s happening. Many believe that the grounds feature a curse, which required primordial magic. This is supposed to be the original source of all magic forms.

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The Throne

The Throne

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What’s Left of the Throne

The throne in the village is said to cause death to those who sit on it. There’s not much left of it, but that makes you think twice before resting your weary feet! We’re not sure how that would be proven, but it’s better not to take a chance!

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What's Left Of The Throne

What’s Left Of The Throne

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A Secret Tunnel

It appears that there could be a secret tunnel on the property, but no one is small enough to fit inside. Could there be gold and jewels or something more sinister? Maybe it’s better not to know for sure!

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A Secret Tunnel

A Secret Tunnel

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Disrespect from Locals

The Fairy Village has had many visitors to it, but they haven’t been kind. In fact, they vandalized it with spray paint and markers to leave behind graffiti with nasty words. Why can’t people respect what isn’t theirs? Did it make the ghosts angry?!

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Disrespect from Locals

Disrespect from Locals

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No Parking

This roadside attraction was built around 1928 and was probably never open to the public. You can find it on Old Waterbury Road, and it’s quite easy to locate. However, there’s no parking around, so you’re likely to get towed if you try.

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No Parking

No Parking

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Others Weigh In

Jennifer talked about Little People Village and claimed that the site was part of the Quassy Amusement Park in the 1920s. There was a mini train track going through it. However, the owners say there’s no connection between the park and Fairy Village, leading to a lot of confusion.

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Others Weigh In

Others Weigh In

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Truth Be Told

Everyone wants to believe that Little People’s Village is a mystical, scary, and magical place. It’s got all the makings for a horror movie, but it’s just not true. Can you handle the full truth? Are you ready for what you’re about to learn?

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Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told

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The Gas Station

As mentioned, William Lannen was the original owner and bought the land to put in a gas station. It was a wise decision since it was on the main route between Waterbury and Middlebury. So what happened to it?

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The Gas Station

The Gas Station

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Waterbury’s Little People Village

Lannen’s business was a success for four years, but then things took a turn for the worst. A new route was built to connect Waterbury and Middlebury. Therefore, traffic diverted away from that old road, and no one wanted to go out of their way for fuel.

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Waterbury's Little People Village

Waterbury’s Little People Village

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The New Decision

William Lannen couldn’t let his ideas go to waste. Since gas stations were out, he decided to build a garden nursery and construct small buildings made of metal, ceramic, concrete, and brick. In fact, there were pools, churches, staircases, and lighthouses, and they were all tiny!

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The New Decision

The New Decision

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His Dream Come True

The tiny buildings Lannen built were perfect and blended right into the landscape. He decided to add some electric lights to the mix to showcase his new inventions and hopefully draw a crowd.

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His Dream Come True

His Dream Come True

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Lying in Ruins

No one knows what really happened to Fairy Village. The Historical Society in Middlebury refers to the creation as a toytown or village. They were very popular at that time in North America and Europe. Still, we may never know what happened to Lannen or get the full story.

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Lying In Ruins

Lying In Ruins

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How to Get There

We don’t condone visiting the abandoned village yourself. However, if you decide to try, you take a utility access road in the woods. You should see a stone house, allegedly belonging to the village’s creators. There’s a tiny staircase you climb to see the ruins yourself.

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How to Get There

How to Get There

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A Presence

Most of the explorers you might talk to tell you that there’s no proof of crazy stuff happening, devil worship, or hauntings. However, they can feel some sort of presence and wish to learn more. After researching the story, they come up with little more than what we know now.

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A Presence

A Presence

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Digital Walking Tour

There is a YouTube video online called “Exploring Fairy Village in Waterbury, Connecticut.” There might be other similar names, but that will get you to many videos with digital walking tours to see what it’s all about.

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Digital Walking Tour

Digital Walking Tour

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Check Out Union Cemetery Next

If you live in Connecticut or plan to vacation there, you might hear the locals whisper about Union Cemetery and the Lady in White. It’s a beautiful place to go, but it could be haunted and has an amazing background to it, just like Little People Village. Let’s learn more!

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Check Out Union Cemetery Next

Check Out Union Cemetery Next

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Slightly Creepy

As with all cemeteries, Union Cemetery is slightly intimidating. You see the old main gates, and they’re somewhat daunting. Many people turn right back around without going in, especially if it’s close to dusk.

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Slightly Creepy

Slightly Creepy

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The Oldness of It All

Interments aren’t frequent now, but they do happen. This cemetery was built in the 1700s, and many of the headstones are no longer legible. Moss grows over the names of those entombed below, and the dates aren’t even recognizable anymore.

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The Oldness of It All

The Oldness of It All

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200 Years Old

Some of the headstones are slightly legible. For example, there’s one for a 7-year-old girl. She died in 1811, which means she has been resting here for well over 200 years! It’s hard to imagine something so old from someone so young.

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200 Years Old

200 Years Old

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A Famous Person

Do you know who Johnny Winter is? He was a blues and rock guitarist who died on tour in Switzerland a little while back. His wife is also buried with him. Fans like to visit his resting place to leave cassette tapes and harmonicas in remembrance.

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A Famous Person

A Famous Person

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The Lady in White

No one knows who the Lady in White is because she’s from an unmarked grave. Several stories speculate about her and what happened. In one, she died during childbirth and wanders Monroe and Easton to look for her child.

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The Lady in White

The Lady in White

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Other Stories

One story claims that she decided to kill her husband in the 1940s and was then murdered herself. The third and most common version is that she’s the ghost of the woman who was buried in a sinkhole behind the church nearby. You can see the “sinkhole” yourself.

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Other Stories

Other Stories

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Where to Find Her

Allegedly, the Lady in White has been seen countless times throughout the years. Most people who claim to see her say they were on Route 59, where it intersects with Route 25. This encompasses Stepney Cemetery (Monroe) and Union Cemetery (Easton.)

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Where to Find Her

Where to Find Her

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Lorraine Warren and Ed Warren Come into Play

Why would she appear between those cemeteries? Stepney Cemetery is where Lorraine and Ed Warren were buried. You may remember them as a clairvoyant and demonologist (respectively). They were supposedly called to the Amityville home.

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Lorraine Warren and Ed Warren Come into Play

Lorraine Warren and Ed Warren Come into Play

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It All Makes Sense

Ed and Lorraine were paranormal investigators and were associated with many prominent haunting cases. They also authored many books on the subject and founded NESPR (New England Society for Psychic Research). It’s no wonder the Lady in White was attracted to them!

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It All Makes Sense

It All Makes Sense

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He Wrote a Book

Ed actually wrote a book that talked about the “White Lady.” Graveyard: True Hauntings from the Old New England Cemetery was popular in the 1990s. He said he captured her essence in film. Maybe she wanted him to help her cross over!

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He Wrote a Book

He Wrote a Book

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Another Idea

If you’re not into the supernatural explanation, here’s another thought. Union Cemetery is only open in the daytime. The local police department enforces that and removes people who enter after dusk.

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Another Idea

Another Idea

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Car Lights

The roads along the cemetery can be traversed, regardless of the time. Therefore, car headlights might move over the gravestones at night. That might be the otherworldly phenomenon people see, and it could resemble a woman wearing white.

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Car Lights

Car Lights

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The Right View

When the lights hit on a certain type of marker, it can appear like a young woman’s body. Many of the headstones are slender at the top and wider at the bottom.

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The Right View

The Right View

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Well Known Cemetery

Union Cemetery is very well known in the area, and the locals find nothing sinister or scary about it. However, it does attract many paranormal enthusiasts. While things have died down since Ed and Lorraine passed, it’s not all over.

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Well-known Cemetery

Well-known Cemetery

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Numerous Sightings

People are often visiting paranormal tracking websites and leaving their experiences of alleged sightings. It seems that Connecticut is the next hotspot for ghosts and other unexplained phenomena. Who knew it would produce so many confusing things?!

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Numerous Sightings

Numerous Sightings

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What’s Next

There haven’t been any listings for paranormal television shows to visit Little People Village or Union Cemetery. However, that is set to change if people keep posting about odd occurrences they experience while driving in those areas.

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What's Next

What’s Next

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Connecticut and Ghosts

Did you know that Connecticut was full of ghosts? There might be other explanations, but those who love the paranormal are sure to be excited about the prospect. There are plenty of other ghost stories to enjoy, as well!

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Connecticut and Ghosts

Connecticut and Ghosts

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