The Fairchild House Abandoned After Family Toy Workshop Closure

The Fairchild family established Rosewood Cottage in 1909 after Thomas Fairchild built the residence near Linden Grove and opened a small wooden toy workshop behind the property. Three generations lived there, including Thomas, his wife Clara, their children, and later grandchildren who helped with carving, painting, and local deliveries. The family earned income from handcrafted toys, decorative woodwork, and seasonal market sales.

Local records describe a well-maintained home with active workshops, gardens, and carefully repaired balconies before changing consumer markets began weakening the small business.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when larger factory-made toys replaced many handmade products sold by the Fairchilds. By 1929, the family dismissed two workshop assistants and stopped repairing sections of the winding porch and garden fence. The upper tower room was closed to reduce heating expenses, while maintenance of the flower beds and wooden balconies was delayed. The economic downturn of the early 1930s caused unpaid supplier accounts, business loans, and property taxes to accumulate. In 1933, the workshop closed permanently, and the Fairchild family moved to a smaller home in Linden Grove.

Rosewood Cottage was abandoned in 1934 after the closure of the Fairchild toy workshop, unpaid business debts, and the loss of the family income source ended their ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Fairchild descendants returned after leaving Linden Grove. Property records noted unsuccessful sales attempts and unresolved maintenance responsibility. The remaining rooms stayed closed with handmade toys, business papers, and household belongings left behind. Over decades, weather and vegetation damaged the decorative woodwork, balconies, and garden. The Gingerbread Victorian house remains empty among the spruce trees, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future use.