Westfield Heritage Centre facts for kids
| Established | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Location | Rockton, Ontario, Canada. |
| Type | open-air museum |
The Westfield Heritage Village is a special place near Rockton, Ontario, Canada. It's like stepping back in time! This village has over 30 old buildings on a huge 3.4 square kilometer (840-acre) site. The Hamilton Conservation Authority helps run this amazing open-air museum.
How Westfield Village Started
In 1961, two high school teachers from Brantford, D. Glenn Kilmer and Golden Macdonnell, had a great idea. They bought land near Rockton with their own money. Glenn's wife, Doreen Kilmer, also helped a lot with developing and managing the village.
Their main goal was to save old buildings that were about to be torn down. They also wanted to create a fun, hands-on place where people could learn about pioneer life. Glenn's father was a builder, and Golden was a science teacher who loved Ontario's history. Together, they rebuilt many donated buildings. Golden even built special workshops called forges from stone, and Doreen managed the General Store.
The village was first called the Westfield Pioneer Village. It unofficially opened in June 1963 and officially opened in 1964. It was open to visitors on weekends in spring and fall, and every day during summer holidays. Many students and local women worked there, especially giving tours to school groups. At first, 12 buildings were open to the public.
Changes Over the Years
In May 1968, the local government, Wentworth County, bought the village for $32,700. They took over on November 1, 1968.
In 1981, the name changed to Wentworth Heritage Village. This was because many of the buildings and items were not just from the very early pioneer days.
The village closed for a while on September 3, 1984, because of money problems. For the next few years, people talked about different ideas, like moving the village or even turning it into a theme park.
Good news came in 1985! Several scenes from the famous Anne of Green Gables movies were filmed at the village. Buildings like the saw mill, church, train station, and general store appeared in the movies.
A big five-year plan to improve the village started in 1990. The goal was to make it a "special events theme center," and it was renamed the Westfield Heritage Centre.
In 2010, the village received a helpful grant from TD Bank. This money was used to plant many fruit trees and build two beehives. One beehive was already working, waiting for more bees to join the colony. The plan was to build a second beehive too. This bee program helps show how important European honey bees (Apius Mellifera) were to early settlers. It also helps teach people about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is when many bees disappear.
Village Connections
Westfield Heritage Village is connected with several important groups:
See also
