The village of Sparta in Central Elgin is one of Ontario’s best-preserved historic communities from the era before the formation of Canada.  It has become a unique tourist attraction and a leading example of how cultural tourism is growing in Elgin County.

Founded in 1822 as a Quaker settlement, the village has retained its character for almost two centuries.  It has 28 buildings dating from before Confederation, including the Quaker meeting house that is still a centre of worship.  Not only does the village have a distinct and charming character but so do many of its businesses and institutions.

“People come on bus tours and are amazed,” says Sally Martyn, treasurer since 1972 of the Sparta Historical Society.  “We’ve been told by many visitors that Sparta is unique.”

The village of about 250 residents is located southeast of St Thomas, an hour’s drive from London.  You can find it by turning south on Quaker Road from Highway 3 at the St Thomas Municipal Airport. 

If you’re hungry when you arrive you can stop on Main Street at the Sparta House Tearoom & Restaurant (www.spartahouse.com) operated by Ken and Norma Roberts.  They bought it four years after immigrating from England in 1992.  Built in 1838-40 as a hotel, the provincially designated historic building was subsequently used by a succession of owners for a variety of commercial purposes but had fallen into disrepair.  The Roberts restored it and made it a centre for local fashion shows and theatrical performances, as well as home to a collection of more than 350 tea pots from around the world.

Norma Roberts makes all the food at Sparta House and specializes in British fare such as afternoon teas, Cornish pasties and ploughman’s lunches wrapped in checkered cloth.  Her guestbook is signed by visitors from all over the world, a testament both to her cooking and to Sparta’s attractions.

“It’s a unique village, a gem of Central Elgin,” Roberts says.  “People from Toronto come here and say it’s a different world, a different pace of life.”

With her friend Mary Muscat, Roberts helps organize many of the community events held in Sparta each year, such as the Strawberry Festival in June, an Easter egg hunt in the spring, a “Scarecrow Trail” at Hallowe’en, and an open-house event shared with Port Stanley on October 2 called Doors Open, when 21 sites will be available for touring and visitors will be greeted by guides in period costumes.

Mary Muscat operates the Anything Used and Sparta Country Candles store (www.spartacandles.com) across the road from Sparta House with her husband Patrick.  Housed in an 1838 general store, the building features two floors of antiques, home décor items brought in from as far away as France and China, and the Muscats’ own homemade Sparta Country Candles.

In their basement, Patrick and Mary produce hundreds of candles a day by hand and sell them at affordable prices to store customers, along with accessories such as reusable containers that can be used multiple times with candle refills.  They offer about 25 varieties of candle fragrances, including their recently re-introduced “double-double” coffee fragrance.

Sparta offers a wide selection of such antique, craft and gift stores and is home to artist studios and galleries.  Many buildings throughout the village have information on their history posted outside and form part of a historic walking tour.  A focal point of any tour is the Ye Olde Forge and Anvil Museum, operated by the Sparta Historical Society.

The museum was once a blacksmith shop built in 1827 from clay and straw, with walls two feet thick.  It contains many 19th-century artifacts such as furniture and clothing, much of it made in Sparta by early settlers. 

The historical society conducts a fundraising dinner in the museum every year on the second Saturday in November, when guests dress in period costumes and are treated to authentic 19th-century food and entertainment by candlelight. 

“The museum will only seat 70 and when tickets go on sale September 1 they always sell out within two days,” Sally Martyn says.  “Couples come and make a weekend of it and stay in one of the bed-and-breakfast places.”

Anyone interested in touring Sparta or attending any of its events can contact the historical society at tcg@execulink.com.