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.

Back to the Enchanted Forest!