Midgetville

Midgetville refers to a legend of a small town inhabited by little people. There are a few urban legends of Midgetvilles across America.

Vienna, Virginia

The eight-acre Wedderburn Property lay on the border of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park in Vienna, Virginia. Due to the small sizes of the homes that were once there, local youth renamed the place "Midgetville" and tell stories of hostile little people who inhabited the buildings and threw rocks and shot guns at outsiders. Although the county has never confirmed the existence of midgets residing there, numerous people have claimed incidents of sabotage and destruction to their vehicles upon entering the property.

In 1882 the site was a small summertime resort that people went to when they wanted to escape the stressful lifestyle of Washington, D.C. In 1892 the area was purchased by Alexander Wedderburn. In 1901 the hotel burned to the ground, but a normal-sized two-story building was built around the same time at the corner of the property. In 1930, one of his sons, George, built six small Spanish-style cottages. A courtyard in the middle of the property was sometimes used as a fairground or a farmers market. The Wedderburns briefly established the Wedderburn Music School on site. The cottages were rented to people, but the place became overgrown with ivy and trees. In 2002 the family signed a deal with contractors to tear the place down and develop the property.

The cottages were all destroyed, and the trees removed, in early 2008 to make way for "Wedderburn Estates."

Jefferson Township, New Jersey

Located near Milton, Jefferson Township, New Jersey has been the subject of urban legends about a Midgetville community. The houses are located on a secluded dirt road. There are at least six small houses with small doors, small windows and small furniture inside. Some have very ornate exterior decorations. There is one normal-sized house on the grounds, inhabited by an elderly, average height couple.

Rumor has held that Alfred Ringling, famous for the Ringling Brothers Circus, built a few small-sized houses that had four-foot doors. However the houses currently all appear to be built within the last 40 years and some are built with vinyl siding which was not available during Ringling's time. Visitors tell stories of hostile midgets who shoot guns at outsiders. However, those who visit the premises learn that the accounts are false, as the houses, aside from the elderly couple, are uninhabited.

Oakdale, Long Island, New York

South of Dowling College, on the Great South Bay, exists what is widely known as "Midgetville." Now a private, gated community, all of the original buildings still exist, as they are registered historic in the Town of Islip. Built as a summer estate by William K. Vanderbilt at the turn of the 19-20th centuries, this now gated area at the end of the road was actually the farm portion of the estate. The Vanderbilts left the estate in 1926, and the farm buildings were turned into an artist's colony. Many of the buildings are gorgeous, normal-sized homes that were once barns and other farm buildings, but the Vanderbilts even built their chicken coops and pig houses in brick and stucco, so these short buildings were also converted into artist housing. Today they are occupied by normal people.

They definitely seem like midget houses when there are cars parked in front of them, and especially if you drive slowly by - you actually look down into the windows! It is a private residential community, so "lookers" are quite obvious when driving through. The "midget houses" are on a narrow street that ends at the water, so you have to be careful at night when backing up to get a better look (because you are in shock that they actually exist, and rather than drive all through the neighborhood again and draw attention to yourself, you try to back up since you cannot turn around, and almost end up in the water).

[[1]] Some nice pictures. [[2]] Great memories written by someone who lived nearby during the 1920's and 1930's. [[3]] Some history on Dowling College website.

External Links

• Midgetville in New Jersey
• www.KeepMidgetville.com activist seeking to save site in Vienna, Virginia.