When Executive Vice President Jan Kempf heard that a local botanical gardens was extending invitations to create houses for fairy’s in an enchanted area of the garden she immediately called Portland (KY) Director Robert Lanning, no stranger to fulfilling odd requests. In turn, he turned to his Administrative Assistant Kim Rowe, who soon had eight residents step forward who not only under-took the challenge but constructed the house in the true tradition of fairies that most remember from their childhood. The fantasy built Dismas fairy house has been placed in an area where children and adults alike explore the shady holly alley where the fairies have taken residence in the Yew Dell Botanical’s Fairy Garden, hidden deep in the serpentine garden in a collection of conifers. Dismas was part of a group of volunteers who built these fairy houses using natural materials. Above from left are Portland Residents Ryan Robinson, Kenneth Cravens, Leroy Boatwright, Kelvin Asher, Jason Lambert, Eddie Childress and Connie Hunt. Not pictured is Joe Furlong. These men worked several weeks to build the house and insured its delivery on October 24, according to Lanning. Yew Dell is in Crestwood, just outside downtown Louisville, and is an internationally recognized center of gardening, plants and education in a setting listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dismas joined scout troops, high school students, families, community organizations and individuals in making the houses.
