The Abbey, built in 1840 and situated next door to the Peter Robson Studios, is the private home of Peter and Eleanor Robson. A Sparta newspaper – The True Teller – was, for a time, published in this building. The building has also served as a furniture and coffin business as well as a local schoolroom.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Port Stanley harbour was the gateway through which thousands of settlers poured into southwestern Ontario. As you wander the streets of the village, listen and you will hear the skirl of the bagpipes which would have accompanied the large contingent of settlers who came from Scotland.
283 Colborne Street, Port Stanley (519) 782-3122 Year Built: 1845
Dates/Hours Open:
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In 1845, Port Stanley’s exquisite little Christ Church was built on land donated by Colonel John Bostwick, the orphaned son of an Anglican clergyman and Port Stanley’s first settler. You are invited to visit this historic gem, pay your respects at Bostwick’s grave and learn his story.
This water treatment facility is a major source of drinking water for both Elgin County and London. The water intake is located 1.5 km offshore, under the surface of Lake Erie. Doors Open visitors will have the chance to learn about modern water treatment and talk to the knowledgeable staff about water-quality issues.
Built in 1827, this cob (clay and straw) building was a blacksmith’s shop. It now houses the Sparta and District Historical Society’s museum of artifacts from the community. Learn about pioneer skills as you watch weavers, spinners and others demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
This world-renowned birding site is of particular interest during the fall hawk migration, as raptor banders record and tag migrating species. At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., visitors can view the banded hawks up close before they are released, and learn about the tagging of Monarch butterflies who rest here before continuing their migration.
Hiram Smith set up his tailor’s business on this site in the mid 1830s, and erected the brick store in 1846. It still contains its original counters, shelves, cash drawer and pressed-tin ceiling. Enjoy meeting “early shoppers” dressed in period costume, and tour the store as well as the upper-floor home.
The Naval Reserve division in London, Ontario, maintains this important training facility in Port Stanley. Visitors will be able to witness training exercises, handle some of the equipment vital to current military operations and explore the harbour aboard the small craft used for training.
Enjoy the tranquil beauty of this hidden trout stream and fish farm, originally the site of a grist mill built in the early 1800s. Look for the foundations of the early mill, see the new fish ladder and help feed the thousands of fish in the hatching ponds.
This Georgian-style cottage featuring regency details is a fine example of local homes built in the 1850s and 1860s. It has a centre hall with balanced rooms, pine floors, original wainscotting and door latches and dining room furniture made locally in Sparta. As a bonus, admire the vintage Studebaker cars restored by Ray Martin.
The Port Stanley Festival Theatre, housed on the top floor of Port Stanley's former town hall, has run a successful season of summer theatre for almost 35 years. Join the excitement with a backstage tour and learn about the ups, downs and pratfalls of running a small-town summer theatre.
One hundred years ago, Port Stanley was served by a horse-drawn fire wagon. The horses were stabled around the corner from the present station. This wagon was a far cry from the modern fire truck housed here today. This venue is a perennial favourite with our younger visitors who will meet members of the present-day fire brigade.
Port Stanley has meant many things to many people over the years, but for over a century it has been a working fishing village. Doors Open visitors can talk to a Port Stanley resident who has worked on the lake all his life and view a modern-day fish tug.
45811 Fruit Ridge Line, RR 5, St. Thomas (519) 775-2216 www.quaiduvin.com
Dates/Hours Open:
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit this active winery on the terminal moraine north of Sparta during the harvest. Tours of the wine processing area will take place every hour on the hour. You will also be able to view the harvesting process, stomp grapes and sample the wines made here.
Come and meet Quakers from the past and the present in this 1865 colonial-style meeting house set in a tranquil woodland. Learn why the meeting house was designed in this way, as well as what Quakers believe and how they worship.
The beloved London and Port Stanley Railroad (L&PS) brought prosperity to the village of Port Stanley for over 100 years. Visitors to this venue, in the basement of model railroad enthusiast Gary Crowther, can learn more about the L&PS and view Crowther's beautifully detailed and historically accurate working layout of a 1950s railroading scene.
This award-winning family-owned winery features fruit wines produced from locally grown produce. Doors Open visitors will be able to take regularly scheduled conducted tours of the winery explaining what is involved in the production of fruit wine, take a 20-minute horse drawn wagon ride through the countryside and explore a corn maze.
236 Colborne Street, Port Stanley Year Built: 1852
Dates/Hours Open:
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Originally built as a Congregationalist church in 1852 and purchased by the Presbyterians in 1870, this is one of the oldest churches in Elgin County. The attractive white frame building is a fine example of pioneer architecture, with its classical silhouette and Gothic and Romanesque windows.
There is an old Masonic saying, “Meet on the level, and part on the square.” St. Mark’s was one of the first Masonic Lodges in Canada. Climb the narrow stairs to the top-floor meeting rooms, which contain some of the original furniture, and learn about this secret order from the friendly lodge members. Refreshments available.
At one time, Port Stanley’s famous Stork Club dance pavilion boasted the largest ballroom in North America. At the newly reopened interpretive centre, enjoy interactive audio visual displays, listen to Big Band music and view historical exhibits of the era when Port Stanley was known as Canada’s Coney Island.
Download this 60-minute MP3 walking tour of Port Stanley at the website above. Taken on October 2 as part of your Doors Open experience, or experienced in advance, you will learn about the heritage of this unique part of Ontario.
This 200-acre preserve of Carolinian forest, tall grass prairie and wetlands features many rare species of flora and fauna, including an excellent grove of blue ash, many black maple trees and green dragon wildflowers. Visitors can walk the signed trails or take special guided tours to learn more about our Carolinian natural heritage.
