Author: Anna Kusmer / Source: Atlas Obscura
Three months ago, the small Colorado town of Breckenridge commissioned the Danish artist Thomas Dambo to build a larger-than-life wooden troll for its summer arts festival. The artwork was placed along a trail in an abandoned quarry behind a residential neighborhood.
And then, as trolls are wont to do, it almost tore the town apart.
The main problem with the troll was its astonishing popularity. Named Isak Heartstone by the artist, the 15-foot sculpture was masterfully constructed out of pallets and recycled wood. He had soulful eyes and a kindly face. The sculpture rapidly gained a social media following and attracted thousands of visitors to an otherwise quiet corner of Breckenridge.
After months of debate and impassioned online battles, the town decided to remove the troll. But once a town has a troll, it never truly goes away.
Leigh Girvin has lived in Breckenridge for 46 years. She could see the sculpture from her window and visited it every day. “I knew Isak since he was a pile of pallets,” she says. “I was absolutely enchanted with him from the second he arrived. It was delightful to see people walking in the woods, open for discovery, excited to find the troll.”
But living with Isak had its downsides. The thousands of tourists flocking to catch a glimpse of the wooden creature inundated a neighborhood not set up for their arrival. “Imagine 10,000 people knocking on your door, asking…
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