Touring Fairfield Hills

(The following letter to Newtown First Selectman Herb Rosenthal has been received for publication.)

Dear Mr Rosenthal:

Although we are children, we have a strong opinion in how Fairfield Hills should be preserved. We also have a lot to say. We have been researching for hours at Cyrenius H. Booth Library. And it seems to us that you have this whole thing worked out, but what about the history?

Fairfield Hills is a huge part of Newtown and if you destroy Fairfield Hills you would be destroying the heart of Newtown also. Fairfiled Hills goes back a long way. To the late 1920s. In November, 1927 Doctor Roy L. Leaks and Walter P. Crabtree, Jr, were assigned by the Governor to make sketches for Fairfield Hills hospital. Way back then having a mental institution near households was making it hard to live a normal life, but many doctors thought it necessary to institutionalize the insane and so Fairfield Hills was made.

While at the library we came upon the plans for what was going to happen to Fairfield Hills and we were outraged! We saw that you were planning to build single family homes, land for school, town offices, a community center, entry plaza, golf course, children museum, and gym. Since we both attend school here in Newtown we feel that our school districts are perfect the way they are. Shouldn’t kids have some say when it comes to school?

Our idea is to open the Fairfield Hills to people who are willing to pay the price of touring the buildings. Yes there will have to be repairs done but if you are willing to listen to what we have to say then we can hold a fund-raiser for repairs. It isn’t like there won’t be any money involved; people will pay money to tour the buildings. It would also be opened for field trips and such. So please get back to us. We have a lot say and deserve to be listened to.

Signed,

Sarah McSweeney, 12,

and Keilly McQuail

4 East Street, Newtown

and 25 Queen Street, Newtown                                     July 2000