Dudleytown, Connecticut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dudleytown, Connecticut
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Former populated place
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 Dudleytown, Connecticut
Location in Connecticut
Dudleytown, Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Connecticut |
| County | Litchfield |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern(EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1931925 |
Dudleytown is a place in northwestern Connecticut, United States. It is known today as a ghost town, meaning it's an abandoned settlement. The area is located in a valley called the Dark Entry Forest.
Since the 1920s, the land has been cared for by a private group. They worked to regrow the forest after many years of farming. Today, only a few signs of the old village remain, like old cellar holes. Because of stories about ghosts and people trespassing, the area is now closed to the public.
Contents
History of Dudleytown
Dudleytown was never an official town. The name was given to a part of Cornwall where several members of the Dudley family lived. The area started to be settled in the early 1740s. Thomas Griffis was one of the first settlers. Gideon Dudley, Barzillai Dudley, and Abiel Dudley also moved there by 1753. Other families joined them later.
Like other parts of Cornwall, Dudleytown's forests were cleared for farms. Families farmed the land for many generations. However, Dudleytown was on a high hill, which wasn't the best for farming. In the mid-1800s, better and larger farmland became available in the Midwest. Also, the local iron industry started to slow down. Because of these reasons, many people left Cornwall, and Dudleytown became empty.
Geography and Nature in Dark Entry Forest
The old village was a few miles south of the Cornwall Bridge area. It was in a valley known as the Dark Entry Forest. This name comes from the shadows cast by the mountains around the village and its access road. Since the village was abandoned, very few old buildings or ruins are left.
In the early 1900s, old farms in Cornwall were sold. Many New Yorkers bought land, hoping for a quieter life. Dudleytown was bought by a private group called Dark Entry Forest, Incorporated, in 1924. This group still owns the land today, and it is closed to visitors.
In 1924, the Dark Entry Forest group shared their plans. They wanted to plant new trees and run a wood mill. They also aimed to protect birds, animals, and wildflowers. Their goal was to create a natural playground for families. Soon after buying the land, they planted thousands of trees. In the 1930s, a ski club from New York used to ski on trails they built there. In the summer, people would canoe on the Housatonic River. Horse riding camps for children were also held in the area.
Stories and Why It's Closed
Dudleytown is often said to be haunted. A popular story shared online claims the first Dudley family members were cursed. This curse supposedly came from an English nobleman named Edmund Dudley. He was executed a long time ago in England. The rumor says this curse followed his family to America. People blame this curse for stories of bad luck and strange events in the village.
However, local historians have looked into these stories. They found no family connection between the Dudleys of Cornwall and the English nobleman. They also found many other parts of the rumors were not true. Records show that the land was originally sacred ground for the Mohawk Nation. The real reasons for the village's decline were likely problems with getting clean drinking water and soil that wasn't good for farming.
Since the 1990s, there has been a lot of interest in Dudleytown. This was partly due to movies about haunted forests, like The Blair Witch Project. This interest led to more people trying to visit the closed land. Because of this, the owners of Dudleytown's property have completely closed it to the public. It is legally off-limits to visitors.
Images for kids
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Excerpt of 1984 United States Geological Survey map, Dudleytown Road and Dudleytown Hill appears near bottom. Cornwall Bridge is at top left.
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Another 1984 USGS excerpt
See also
In Spanish: Dudleytown, Connecticut para niños
