But Sleepy Hollow Farm will likely be much quieter this season. The Pomfret town government, along with the neighboring town of Woodstock, approved temporary road closures around the site in August to reduce tourist traffic, but in the past fall, officials and residents said There were growing concerns about safety. The closure will last from September 23rd to October 15th, with the exception of some authorities and residents of surrounding roads.
“It’s kind of ridiculous that things have gotten this far, but it’s really troubling,” Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer said. “And in some cases, there are real safety issues.”
The property’s current owner could not be reached for comment.
Sleepy Hollow Farm was founded around the 1780s by two brothers who built a nearby farm and remained in the family for over 100 years. NewEngland.com report. The 115-acre property, which includes a barn, pond, guest house and log cabin, was most recently owned by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, according to the report. The home was sold in 2020 on behalf of the Perry family for more than $2 million.
In recent years, the property has been inundated with tourists, many of whom have made it their destination after seeing it featured online as a dreamy place for perfect screensaver-worthy autumn photos. I made it.
But for residents living along the road leading to Sleepy Hollow Farm, that was never the case.
Palmer said many people were worried that the congestion during the fall foliage season would make it difficult for ambulances and fire trucks to pass. Some of the tourists were experienced tourists who walked on their own grounds or used their own land for picnics.
“This is someone’s backyard. This is someone’s pond,” Palmer said. “This was not a public display and there was a tremendous amount of disrespect.”
Margarete Pearce, who lives in this area, told WCAX A visitor parked on her property and blocked her driveway.
“They go into my garden house and look for the toilet,” Ms Pearce said.
In an interview with todayAmy Robb, another resident near the farm, spoke of the lengths tourists would go to take photos in front of the landscape.
“I see people coming into the dressing room and changing into different outfits and taking pictures,” Rob said.
Last fall, Pomfret made the road leading to Sleep Hollow Farm one-way only to reduce traffic congestion. Although the measures were effective, residents remained concerned about access to emergency services and trespassing as tourist numbers appeared to only increase.
Prior to this fall, at a May 3 town meeting, about 30 neighbors discussed various strategies to reduce traffic on the shared email chain, neighbors said.
Some residents thought it would be helpful to give this landscape a low rating, clarify that it is private property and not a tourist attraction, and write a review online. Someone even tried to remove Sleepy Hollow Farm’s location from Google Maps.
“What we really want to do is not find a Band-Aid, but seriously help people get a cure,” one resident said at a May rally.
After discussing multiple options over the summer, the Pomfret town government last month approved closure Two roads lead to Sleepy Hollow Farm.
Palmer said when the lockdown goes into effect this weekend, there will be barricades, signs and uniformed law enforcement officers in the area.
“It doesn’t discriminate against tourists,” he said. “Unfortunately, we had to take this action because the quality of life and safety of people living on that road became very problematic.”