Did you add the directory in your httpd.conf? Or just put it in the directory? What I have found, (not that I know much about it), is that for example, I have my DocumentRoot. Then, not touching the conf file, I make a subdirectory under it. Now, that subdirectory needs its own index.html file or I get 403 forbidden. This is a static site, no php. I can also get any site in the subdirectory, that is if I go to DocumentRoot/subdirectory/subdirectory-page.html.
This 403 forbidden is a different error than what you're seeing, so I don't know if it's relevant, but hopefully, someone with more apache knowledge will add to it, if the error log doesn't give the solution.
