The Fairbourne Family Aviary House Abandoned After Bird Trade Decline

The Fairbourne family established Willow Nest House in 1907 after Charles Fairbourne purchased woodland near Alderbrook Clearing and developed a small ornamental bird sanctuary. Three generations lived there, including Charles, his wife Margaret, their children, and later grandchildren who assisted with bird care and garden work. The family earned income from breeding songbirds, supplying private estates, and selling handcrafted aviary materials.

The attached upper aviary and workshop were expanded during the 1910s. Local records describe a maintained home with active gardens and regular repairs before changing regulations and economic pressures affected the sanctuary business.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when Fairbourne customers cancelled several bird orders after new regulations limited private bird sales. By 1929, Charles dismissed two assistants and reduced maintenance of the aviary structure and garden paths. The family closed the side tower room and stopped repairing damaged glass panels in the upper enclosure. The economic depression of the early 1930s further reduced demand, leaving unpaid feed suppliers, property taxes, and workshop debts. In 1933, the Fairbournes sold remaining equipment and left Willow Nest House after creditors began legal proceedings against the sanctuary property.

Willow Nest House was abandoned in 1934 after foreclosure followed the collapse of the bird sanctuary business, unpaid debts, and reduced market demand. No restoration occurred, and no Fairbourne descendants returned after leaving the forest region. County records noted unresolved ownership and no successful plans for reuse of the unusual property. The remaining rooms stayed closed with journals, tools, and household belongings left behind. Over decades, broken glass, plant growth, and weather damaged the residence and aviary. The forest sanctuary house remains empty beneath the old birdhouses, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future ownership.