A Door in a Hill

*This article appeared in Ridgefield Magazine.

Directly opposite Flat Rock Drive on West Lane is a horse paddock that is surrounded by a sloped piece of land that contains a door. what's in there?

When travelers come to the stretch of roadway where Flat Rock Drive meets West Lane, their eyes are drawn to a mysterious door, surrounded by horses in a paddock, which leads into a small hill. The door, reminiscent of a gnome's house in a Grimm's fairy tale, makes you wonder: Does this lead to an underground passage?

The door is that of a root cellar, which has been part of this grand estate for over 120 years. Upon opening the door, you will find an empty, damp room that was once a farmer's paradise. The root cellar, an essential component of any home before fresh produce was available for purchase in stores, is making a comeback these days due to the resurgence of homegrown, organic crops.

This West Lane estate, called Orchard Hill, dates back to the late 1800s when it was a large working farm. Patricia and Paul Keuhner purchased it in 2003 and have maintained the beauty of the farm and given justice to the name Orchard Hill by maintaining the apple trees and other vegetation. "In its heyday, there were many fruit trees: apple, peach, and pear, and they needed a place to store the fruit because there was no refrigeration back then," explains Patricia. Presently, the root cellar is not being used to store or preserve produce, but is in good shape if the Kuehners ever decide to take advantage of this historical preservation tool or if, by chance, a gnome is looking for a rental property.