Thanks to everyone who helpedThe true magic is in the wonderful people who made it all happen!!
Moving the Enchanted Forest - How we got it all done:
Many people have worked in the cold of winter and the terrible heat of summer to restore these items. It is a massive job that has taken the talents of staff, volunteers and local businesses over eleven years to accomplish. We have welcomed monetary donations, large and small, and the donation of wayward Enchanted Forest pieces. Please look at the list below of individuals and businesses that have donated time, talents and supplies to our efforts so far. We want to honor them for their generosity. We could not have done so much so quickly without them.
Clark's Elioak Farm THANKS all of these great supporters !!
The Harrison Family:
Linda Harrison Gardner and her family. Howard Harrison III (Bud) and his
wife Cathy and their family. Bruce Harrison and his family. Barbara Veltre and her family.
Matthew
Veltre and Nicole and Steve Stickley and many other family members as
well. Their father and grandfather
created and owned the Enchanted Forest. They grew up at the Enchanted
Forest. Linda has been actively working on the restoration effort
since 2004 and has served on the committees to plan both the 50th
and the 60th birthday celebrations. Her steadfast support
throughout the years has been a great inspiration to us to continue
our work to restore, maintain and share the wonderful Enchanted
Forest attractions with another generation of families and children.
Kimco Realty Company:
This
amazing company has donated all of the Enchanted Forest attractions
to us. There is no way to thank them enough for their
generosity.
George W. Miller, Jr. Co:
George
came to the rescue in 2006 and helped with many items. He has
built the foundation and the beautiful brick wall under the Old
Woman's Shoe and made all the major and substantial repairs to the
Shoe inside and out. He cut the Three Bears House in two so it
could be moved and has put the foundation under that House.
The amount of labor involved in these projects is overwhelming and
George has always approached the job with a smile and great
enthusiasm. He also rebuilt Humpty Dumpty's wall and built the
mountain for the Mt Vesuvius slide. Without a doubt, his crowning
glory is his 2015 effort to rebuild the white entrance Castle as the
entrance to the Enchanted Pine Tree Forest and setting the enormous
Enchanted Forest sign in place at the farm. He and his entire
crew worked tirelessly all summer to rebuild the Castle moved the
farm from Route 40. It is an amazing structure.
Mark Cline of Enchanted Castle Studios:
Mark
restored and replaced many of Enchanted Forest characters at the
farm, including the Crooked Man, Willie the Whale, The School Marm,
the Dish and the Spoon, Jack & Jill, Baby Bear and Goldilocks,
the 3 Pigs, the Easter Egg, the Sombrero, the covered wagon, the
Gingerbread House and Little Red Riding Hood's House. In addition to
giving us advice and guidance whenever we called him with fiberglassing
questions, he has fiberglassed the roof of the Three Bear's House
and the Old Woman's Shoe. We look forward to continuing to work with
Mark in the future. And his latest magnanimous gesture was to
donate to us the amazing OLE KING COLE who waves to you from
the balcony of the new Castle. Thank you Mark for your
wonderful generosity.
Clark's ACE Hardware:
Andy and Jackie
Clark have made sure that we have had all the paint (in wonderfully
vivid colors) we need to keep all of the attractions looking good
year after year.
They have never wavered in their support of our efforts to keep the attractions looking their best.
Signarama Columbia:
Betty Evans served
on the
committee organizing our efforts to preserve and restore the Enchanted
Forest items in 2005. She designed and donated banners, the map of the farm and other
signs seen around the farm in 2005 and continues to do so in 2015 for
the 60th Birthday Celebration.
The Iron Bridge Wine Company:
Steve Wecker very generously sponsored the Artist Reception and
Preview Party for the local artists who painted wonderful works
of art to celebrate the Enchanted Forest for the 60th Birthday
Celebration.
Preservation Howard County:
This organization has
identified the Enchanted Forest as an important County landmark and
has supported our efforts to save, restore, and make the figures and
buildings from the Enchanted Forest available at our farm for future
generations. They are the umbrella organization which is providing
financial support to the preservation and restoration efforts.
Fred Dorsey does a great job supporting our work.
Howard County Tourism & Promotion:
Clark's Elioak Farm has benefitted from
its relationship with this organization for the moment we opened our
doors. It is especially fitting since the Harrisons were among
the business leaders that started the Tourism Council many year
ago!! Rachelina Bonacci and Amanda Hof have helped with many
of our efforts over the years.
Howard County Economic Development Authority:
Kathy Zimmerman has worked
with Clark's Elioak Farm over the years to promote all of our
activities and promote our diversified agritourism operation.
We appreciate the support of HCEDA throughout the years.
Howard County Historical Society:
For lending us the
incredible display of pictures from the early days of the Enchanted
Forest. We understand Linda Harrison Gardner was responsible for
making that display possible. We have proudly displayed it in
the Castle Store for the past 10 years. The Historical Society
continues to support our mission to preserve and maintain the
Enchanted Forest attractions.
Drama Learning Center:
Stephanie Williams very graciously offered to provide wonderful
entertainment for our special 60th Birthday Celebration weekend.
We look forward to working together in the future.
Gymboree Play & Learn:
Ronya Edwards from Gymboree in Columbia also offered to provide
entertainment for our visitors at the 60th Birthday Celebration
weekend. We welcome her to the farm.
Thunder Grafix:
Marsha Harding donated
her time and talents to produce the map of the farm and the "Clark's Elioak Farm Remembers
The Enchanted Forest" brochure. She
continues to donate her considerable time and talents in the production
of the farm's brochures, updated map and the reproduction coloring book
Monica McNew-Metzger:
Monica has volunteered from the very beginning and has worked in the
cold and the heat every year to hlep us maintain the over 100
attractions at he farm. She has alsom painted the stones from the wall around Cinderella's
Castle and restored the Birthday Cake. Monica has served on the 2005 and
2015 anniversary
committees organizing the celebration. Her work over the years has
been tireless and amazing to see. She restored Sleeping Beauty's face
and arm, painted the window scene in her room and painted Robin Hood's
forest, to name but a few of her accomplishments. Monica is painting the
mural of the Enchanted Forest at the farm. She has painted the
design on the Sombrero TWICE over the years. She is a kind and
generous person that we will never be able to truly thank enough for
all she has done. Her daughter, Jenny, has grown up before our
eyes at the farm as she watches all that her mother contributes to
the restoration efforts.
Meckley Services, Inc.:
Bernard Daleo and his crew worked with Kimco Realty Co. to move the
Enchanted Forest Castle to the farm this summer so we could rebuild
it.
Hampton Hotels:
Through its
Save-A-Landmark program has provided the funding to move the Old
Woman's Shoe to the farm and restore and preserve it. They are
also the primary sponsor for the restoration and preservation of the
Crooked House and the Crooked Man and paid for the moving of the
Rainbow Bridge and the Merry Miller's House and the landscaping of
the lil' red schoolhouse and the Crooked
House. They also provided for the gazebo home of the Enchanted Forest
Birthday Cake. In addition to significant financial support, over forty
Hampton Hotels employees volunteered to assist with the sanding,
painting and landscaping necessary to restore the lil' red school house,
the Crooked House, the gingerbread men, the Sombrero, and a candy cane.
The volunteers also gave the Pumpkin Coach a facelift.
Cross County Builders:
Len Busso was with us at the begining and was primarily
responsible for transporting many of the items to the farm including
Mother Goose, the Black Duck, the White Gosling, the giant flowers,
the mushrooms, the lollipops, the candy canes, the teapot and
teacups, the birthday cake and Cinderella's mice. He knows how heavy
every one of these items is—and they are very heavy!! He is
always available to help us with heavy lifting!
ExCel Tree Experts:
Marty Levine and his crew, Mike
Cotter, Fred Miller and Joseph Macie, moved the
Sombrero, Jack's Giant and the Beanstalk and the lil red school house on
June 4, 2005. Their generosity, talents and skill are incredible.
Thank you so much to Marty for being so generous and donating his time
and efforts. And their assistance continues . . . Mike Cotter put the
Crooked House, the Easter Bunny's House, and the 35 foot tall Beanstalk
in place at the farm, no easy task!! And in September 2005, Marty and
Mike moved the Rainbow Bridge and the Merry Miller's House to the farm.
In February 2006, they cut the top off the Old Woman's Shoe and moved it
to the farm. Then in March they returned to place the top back onto the
Shoe. They also moved Willie the Whale to the farm.
Debbie Burchardt:
Debbie
got the entire process started by restoring Cinderella's Pumpkin
Coach in 2004. Without her, none of the rest of our efforts
would have gotten off the ground. She worked with our
committee in 2005 that spearheaded all the efforts to move,
restore and preserve the Enchanted Forest items in addition to being
hands-on fiberglassing and painting, gathering supplies and soliciting donations
for our efforts.
Barbara Sieg and Fran Reardon:
Donated their time, gardening expertise and hard work to beautify the gardens around the petting farm and the Enchanted Forest attractions. They also provided plants and bulbs to our landscaping efforts
Nan Sherman:
Maintains
"WebsitesAmerica.com" an Enchanted Forest informational website. She
provided the vintage postcards, book & brochure we replicated for sale
in the store. She keeps the media and volunteers updated on our progress
and worked with the 2005 committee that organized the 50th anniversary
event. She helped edit the 2015 booklet "Enchanted Forest:
Behind the Scenes Stories."
Patsy Selby:
A former employee at the Park, and a member of the family that
worked at the Park for many years, Patsy helps out in all of our
efforts. She has served on the committees for the 50th and
60th parties and paints, cleans, and helps out whenever and
whereever needed.
Janet Kusterer:
Janet very generously shares writing credit with Martha Clark for
the book, "The Enchanted Forest: Maryland's Storybook Park"
but she was most certainly the primary author of the book with
"editing" assistance from her partner, Martha. We had a great
time writing the book and enjoy sharing it with fans from all over
the country.
Keith Kridernoff:
Created the "Enchanted Forest: Behind the Scenes" Facebook
page to connect former Enchanted Forest employees and get them to
tell their stories. He has compiled the stories into a booklet
and continues to gather more. He has worked with the 2015
planning committee to compile lists of people attending the weekend
events.
2015 60th Birthday Celebration Committee:
Linda Harrison Gardner
Keith Kridernoff
Janet Kusterer
Kathy Zimmerman
Monica McNew Metzger
Patsy Selby
Amanda Hof
Steve Wecker
Other individuals, businesses & organizations who helped to move and restore the Enchanted Forest items that are at Clark's Elioak Farm.
Maija Kropp, S & K Roofing, Siding and
Windows:
Donated the materials and labor to replace the roof of
The Crooked House. The job they did is absolutely beautiful! They also
very generously underwrote the cost of putting in a concrete pad for the
lil' red school house. They are also responsible for the beautiful new
roof on the Old Woman's House.
Expert House Movers:
They provided
expertise along with price quotes for moving the Enchanted Forest
structures. This information will help us in our fund raising effort.
They have also moved the Easter Bunny's House, the Crooked House and the
Old Woman's Shoe, the Three Pigs House and the Three Bears House to
date.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage:
Major funding sponsor. Made the restoration and preservation of "the
lil' red school house" possible.
Howard Bank:
Major funding sponsor.
Made the restoration and preservation of "The Easter Bunny's House" possible.
Norman Cavey, former Enchanted Forest
employee:
Has created a DVD called "A Visit to the Enchanted
Forest" and it's available at Clark's Elioak Farm for sale.
Will Rich, the Forest Diner:
Donated
the Black and White Poster that is for sale in the store.
Kevin Brown, Brown and Associates, Inc:
Helped us by printing the "Clark's Elioak Farm Remember The Enchanted
Forest" brochure, the Enchanted Forest Story Book Coloring Book and new
farm brochure.
Glen Mullinix:
Saved the Crooked Man
and Humpty Dumpty from destruction and donated both to Clark's Elioak
Farm to become part of our display.
John and Sherre Hankinson:
Used
their artistic and woodworking talents to recreate the original
Enchanted Forest signs for The Three Bears, The Three Pigs, The Old
Woman's Shoe and many others. They also built and furnished the Three
Bears' Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear beds.
What you can do:
The Enchanted Forest has so many friends who remember it with great fondness. You may make a monetary donation to help pay for supplies and equipment needed to keep all the attractions looking their best. We also welcome volunteers to assist in repairing and refurbishing the attractions at the farm. We especially appreciate those generous friends who donate items that came from the Enchanted Forest. If you have an item in your garage, attic or outbuilding that once lived at the Enchanted Forest and would like to donate it to the farm so it can once again be displayed for our visitors, we would be honored to give it a new home. Or you might want to send along a souvenir that you purchased from the gift shop years ago. We have several cases where we display such treasures. We also have very generous friends who purchase Enchanted Forest items at antique stores, flea markets and on eBay and donate them to the farm. We welcome all such donations. And, last but not least, we would love to get any and all photos you have from your visits to the Enchanted Forest in years past. We love to see what the Park looked like at different times---different years and different seasons---and what people were doing and enjoying as well. Please send COPIES only. Do not send your original photos unless you no longer want them.
To make a monetary donation, send a check to:
Preservation Howard County
P.O. Box 406
Simpsonville, MD 21150
(The donation is tax-deductible)
Be sure to put on the memo line of your check: The Enchanted Forest Fund
To volunteer or donate services, equipment or Enchanted Forest items:
Please contact us.