Lang Pioneer Village Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The following note was written sometime around late 1970 or 1971 and has been transcribed by Margaret's daughter Joan DiFruscia. It gives great insight into the beginnings of Lang Pioneer Village Museum (formerly Lang Century Village). We hope you enjoy!
The Museum will be hosting a 50th Anniversary Reunion on Saturday, August 19. All current and former staff and volunteers of Lang Pioneer Village Museum are invited to attend. For more information, please visit the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LPVReunion/.
History of the Development of Lang Century Village
Author Uknown
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| A scan of part of the original note |
When the Century Village at Lang was opened
in August 1967, it was a dream come true for Peterborough County Council and
many others who assisted with the project. This was a two-year effort on the part of the County to choose a site
and build a lasting centennial landmark.
Mr. David McIntyre, Otonabee Reeve, headed the centennial committee in 1967 and the Women’s Institute members and others, worked with the coordinating director, Mrs. Mary Mood.
Mr. David McIntyre, Otonabee Reeve, headed the centennial committee in 1967 and the Women’s Institute members and others, worked with the coordinating director, Mrs. Mary Mood.
The 25-acre site, eight miles south-east of Peterborough, was bought by the Otonabee Conservation Authority in 1966. It included the stone grist flour mill, built by Thos. Short in 1846, the dam and the mill pond, also the saw mill ½ mile north built by Wm Lang in the 1830’s. The site along the Indian river is leased to the County for 99 years.
Both mills are being restored by the Conservation Authority.
About a dozen large and small buildings were moved in from different parts of the County, all actual pioneer buildings. Roads were built, and a village green constructed with a base of silt from the river bottom. The buildings were roofed with wooden shingles made in the village’s shingle mill, from cedar beams of a 100 year old barn.
Items displayed in the buildings are all antiques donated by district residents. Several hundred articles have been contributed, and more are being donated every year.
The layout of the village was planned by architect Napier Simpson of Willowdale, who also worked on the Black Creek Pioneer Village project in North Toronto.
The capable curator is Mrs. John MacKelvie and all articles for display must be approved and catalogued by her.
The first building moved to the site was
the log Milburn house from Smith township. It has an upstairs with two bedrooms, a downstairs bedroom, sitting
room, kitchen and pantry, all furnished in the 1870 period.
The log cabin from the Fife homestead is
believed to be the first home of David Fife of Red Fife wheat fame, and is
furnished in pioneer settler style.
The Douro Council hall was moved from Douro
township and contains a large council table from the Peterborough County, also
two polling booths with old time ballot box, etc.
The church was brought from Glen Alda in
Chandos Township.
The log school house from South Lake was
the last log school in use in the County.
The 1858 country store and post office from
Menie Corners, near Campbellford, is managed by the Keene Women’s Institute and
has a quantity of goods for sale, such as candy, home cooking, hand woven rugs,
apples, and sometimes maple syrup, shelves stocked with goods sold in the
1800’s.
The blacksmith shop was moved from Warsaw,
and the genial blacksmith, Mr. H. Golloher fascinates the children with the
things he can make from red hot metal.
A woodshed was moved from the Howson farm,
east of Peterborough and now houses the shingle mill.
Display barns were moved from Asphodel and
Selwyn and the church sheds from Dummer.
The latest log house added in 1969 was
moved from the Fitzpatrick farm in Asphodel and is furnished in the 1840-50
period with a fireplace in which scones are cooked over the open fire on
special days and sampled. Mrs. Golloher
churns butter in the old dash churn. Quiltings and other crafts are carried on in this house too.
A log barn houses the sheaves of oats grown
in the small field beside it, and the old time separator and steam engine
thrash the grain in the fall.
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
afternoon when the village is open from May till October, it is peopled with ‘villagers’ in old-time
dress, working at pioneer crafts and ready to answer questions and show
articles, and explain their use.
Many special days are held in the summer
and fall, such as the Peterboro Folk Arts Fall Festival, with many crafts being
demonstrated, as well as folk dancing, choruses and square dancing, and log
rolling on the river.
The Conservation Authority holds a special
Millers’ holiday in June.
Almost every weekday in June bus loads of
school children tour the village with guides to show them around and many bus
loads of W. I. groups and other organizations arrange tours.
On two occasions the Thomas A. Stewart
Secondary School history class has spent a day at the village studying pioneer
history, and this year some of the pupils from this school entertained the 40
children from the Day Nursery at a Christmas party in the Fitzpatrick house.
In 1969 new washrooms were built and in
1970 an administration building was constructed and covered with field stone
from the site. This contains a ticket office and storage space.
A large picnic area with tables, a
concession booth, parking and swimming area are free to the public, admission
being charged for the village and mill only.
A committee of four from the County Council are
appointed each year.
In 1968 Mr. Peter Pearson was chairman, in
1969 Mr. Norman Wilson and in 1970 Mr. Michael O’Toole. Most of the buildings have been donated but
a great deal of work is involved in moving and restoring them. A caretaker is hired for the season to look
after the grounds and buildings, and guides, mostly school pupils, are hired to
staff the buildings.
The village is becoming well known, and the
guest book in the Council Hall contains names from all over North America, and
the British Isles, and even Australia. In 1970 around $6000.00 was paid in entrance fees from (some) and 3,110
school children were shown the village on tours. Of the $30,000 budget for the operation,
$25,000 came from the County and the balance from provincial grants and gate
receipts.
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| Margaret MacKelvie, David McIntyre & Mary Mood |
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| A postcard of Lang Pioneer Village from the early days |
