Visit Fanshawe Pioneer Village
“The past is present” at Fanshawe Pioneer Village where visitors can explore the Denfield General Store, dine at the Pioneer Village Café, or book a venue for a special event ranging from weddings to corporate retreats. At the Denfield General Store, you can relive the old-fashioned shopping experience at the original post which served the local community from 1877-1952. Today, you can find one-of-a-kind candies, artisanal gifts and toys including reproduction period pieces and historical books.
The Pioneer Village Café offers an eclectic, changing lunch menu along with a fascinating history. In 1918, Arthur Keough was on the hunt for washing machine parts, but when a local machine shop offered him an apprenticeship instead, he accepted. Twenty-seven years later, he bought the former machine shop building and spent the rest of his life serving the Denfield community as a machinist. In 1979, the café was built to replicate the 1930s shop that Keough turned into a legacy.
Shopping and Dining
Both breakfast and lunch are served, and although the menu constantly changes, popular items have included potato leek soup, fresh garden greens and potato salad or home fries. Only produce from the on-site garden is used, and everything from the Ploughman’s Sandwich circa 19th century farm fare to the homemade pies are made from scratch.
Group tours and summer day camps are offered, as well as numerous special events year-round. All educational programs last 90 minutes and are available as morning, afternoon or evening sessions. Contact Fanshawe Pioneer Village to schedule your retreat or special event, or stop by the shop or café for a unique experience.