Vienna, Virginia: Midgetville (Gone)

My Mom's best friend owned "Midgetville" -- the six cottages sat behind the main house, which was near the train tracks. It was called Wedderburn Station. As a 7 yr old, I use to visit there. The family had 5 girls. We played all through the woods and near the little houses, but no one lived in them. We'd chase chickens, ride their horse and sometimes hop a slow-moving freight train into town. The eldest daughter got married in 1967 and we had the reception at the house. That was the last time I was there and I was 20 at the time.

Alas, this *historic* property will now be dubbed: "Razedville." Thanks to the ineptitude and selfishness of the Fairfax County board of supervisors, the new developer, much to the chagrin of the Vienna community, was allowed to clear every single tree (mostly old-growth oaks) on the entire property, leaving only the utility poles. Please come visit the new national landmark, which symbolizes a new world order (in this case at the county level) of uncompromising power and greed.

Midgetville is gone! The tiny houses were indeed real, but small people did not live in them. The land is being cleared as we speak by developers to build luxury homes. During high school, it was a favorite pastime to load up a car full of friends in the dark of night and venture in to Midgetville. We scared ourselves to death!

Sadly the urban legend that was Midgetville in Vienna is now a dirt patch. The little cottages and the trees surrounding them have been destroyed and will be replaced with a bunch of soulless McMansions called Wehterbrun Estates or some such (sorry if you can see your neighbor in their shower, it's not an estate....but I digress).

A Washington Post article from 2002 gives some good details on what is actually on the property and dispels the myths surrounding Midgetville.

It's an old, lightly developed resort that dates back to 1892. It was named "Midgetville" because of the farmer's market that was held there. Today, the cabins/houses are crumbling because the family who owns it can't afford the upkeep. It's most likely going to be redeveloped into a planned urban community, similar to what Ballston/Clarendon have become.

The owners get very angry when they catch trespassers. A pastime of local teenagers has been to race along the dirt roads throwing eggs and garbage at the old houses, trying to harrass the supposed "midgets."