Fodor Farm and Nathan Hale Fountain

Fodor Farm is a historic site turned playground and community garden, owned by the town of Norwalk.

The property highlights the importance of agriculture in Norwalk history - Fodor Farm was a functioning farm and homestead from the 1650s through most of the 20th century. Agriculture was important in the early settlements of Norwalk, and remained part of the economy as the area industrialized, waning near the end of the 19th century as Norwalk became more suburban. During the Revolutionary War period, many people grew flax (to turn into fiber and clothing) and hemp and raised cows.

Beside the main building at Fodor Farm is a statue and fountain dedicated to Revolutionary War figure Nathan Hale. A Connecticut native, Nathan Hale attended Yale College and enlisted in the militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. He then volunteered as a spy on the British in New York, where he was to be disguised as a school teacher. To cross the Long Island Sound to get to New York, Hale traveled to Norwalk, where he left his uniform, papers, and commission before beginning his mission. Unfortunately, Hale was not a talented spy, and it was not long before he revealed his mission to an undercover British agent and was arrested and killed by the British Army. He is seen as a hero and martyr by many, and his short time in Norwalk is honored by the fountain at Fodor Farm.