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Little Danbury, Connecticut facts for kids

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Little Danbury
Little Danbury, Connecticut is located in Connecticut
Little Danbury, Connecticut
Little Danbury, Connecticut
Location in Connecticut
Little Danbury, Connecticut is located in the United States
Little Danbury, Connecticut
Little Danbury, Connecticut
Location in the United States
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Fairfield
Town Fairfield
Elevation
0.9 m (3 ft)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
GNIS feature ID 1942407

Little Danbury was a small beachfront community located on the Long Island Sound. Today, this area is part of southeast Fairfield.

The Story of Little Danbury

Before the late 1800s, people didn't live permanently on the beaches of Fairfield. Instead, they would build simple huts or "shacks" for their summer vacations. These temporary homes were taken down and stored away when winter arrived.

Building a Beach Community

In the late 1890s, things changed. People started building more lasting, yet still simple, homes right on the beach. These homes were called "cottages." This new community of cottages became known as "Little Danbury."

These "rustic" (meaning simple and natural) cottages were very popular with everyday families. Many of these families came from the city of Danbury to enjoy the beach. Meanwhile, wealthier vacationers, who often traveled by train from New York, preferred to stay at fancy resorts further inland, like the Fairfield House. They didn't think beachfront cottages were fashionable.

Growing Neighboring Areas

To make it easier to reach Little Danbury, a road called Reef Road was built. Soon after, another group of affordable cottages popped up nearby at Pine Creek. This new area was called "Little Bridgeport."

A Powerful Storm

Sadly, many of the homes in Little Danbury were destroyed by a very strong storm. This happened during the 1938 New England hurricane, a huge hurricane that caused a lot of damage across the region.

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