Terry Wilson excels at bringing history to life. As a history teacher, he used to vividly narrate historical stories to his students. Now, he continues to showcase his hometown, the historical village of Meadowvale near Toronto, Canada, to visitors.
At 72 years old, Terry described the village in an interview with Epoch Times, “I grew up in a very historically significant environment, as we have all the historical buildings left from the 1840s and 1850s. So, for many people, many children, it’s like watching a show on TV narrating the history of an era, and I lived on that street.”
He fondly recalled the hitching posts outside the one-room schoolhouse and the sight of the town blacksmith working on his way home from school.
Growing up in such a beautiful place, Terry particularly appreciates his mother’s care and influence. His mother’s beauty stood out in their small village, giving Terry a deep sense of pride, especially when he was young and felt like an outsider among his peers due to thick glasses and a short stature.
Terry revealed, “One time, as a child, I was watching TV in the living room and got extremely excited. I shouted, ‘Hey, everyone, mom’s on TV.’ I was sure it was her. Miss America Bess Myerson was appearing on the television screen at the time.”
But what truly made his mother, Rosemary, stand out was her generosity.
Terry reminisced, “I have always been very admiring of my mom’s character. I knew she was a good person. Her kitchen was open to everyone. If anyone in the village was in trouble, feeling down, or sad, they knew they could sit in Rosemary’s little kitchen house, she would make them a cup of coffee, comfort everyone, and prepare some baked goods for them.”
As time passed, everything around the Meadowvale village began to change. The familiar village and farms that Terry had known for decades started to disappear due to urban development.
One day in 1998 after a heavy rain, their garden was flooded due to the excavation of trenches for nearby development projects. When the couple approached the developers to address the issue, they learned that the developers had been using Rosemary’s beautiful garden as a selling point.
It turned out that the developers encouraged potential buyers to walk around the neighborhood because they knew the stunning views of Rosemary’s garden would convince them to purchase the houses.
The developers assured compensation for the damage and showed great respect for Terry and Rosemary. When the couple noticed construction workers discarding a large amount of good wood that did not meet the developers’ standards, they inquired if they could take some home. The developers gladly agreed, telling them to take as much as they wanted.
At that moment, Terry and his mother conceived the idea of using the wood to build miniature replicas of historic buildings in their backyard to protect the vanishing village.
Building by building, the small village took shape in their backyard. Now, there are 24 buildings, including a church, two mills, and a grocery store. Terry constructed these buildings, while his mother collected items from flea markets, auctions, or donations to decorate the interior of the buildings, always ensuring that these items were original from the 19th century.
It took them over twenty years to complete this village, preserving and promoting the tradition of Meadowvale. However, unfortunately, Terry’s mother could not finish all the building decorations. She passed away in 2015 after a long battle with cancer, leaving her son to carry on their vision.
In this process, Terry had to learn many things as he had never had much interest in architecture before. He enjoyed playing field hockey and had no interest in carpentry or any building skills.
Terry wanted to help his mother achieve her vision, combined with his love for history and desire to create beautiful things, prompting him to learn woodworking.
Visitors often ask Terry if building the houses in the village required a lot of woodworking tools, and his answer usually surprises them. He managed to complete all the buildings with just a picnic table, a hammer, and a Skil saw.
Looking back on the village he had rebuilt, Terry pointed out that the mission and purpose of reconstructing the village had changed. Initially, replicating the village was a personal sanctuary for his family, a beautiful memory of the old way of life amidst the expanding urbanization process.
Soon, local visitors began to come and explore. Terry shared, “Visitors are captivated, feeling that coming here for a walk is a great comfort. So, when we realized that everything we have done to protect the village’s history truly brought us comfort, it also brought comfort to many others.”
A few years ago, Terry started sharing photos and history of his small village on Facebook, sparking discussions online. Soon, people from around the world began to visit.
Terry never received any funding and did not charge admission fees. When people wanted to support him, Terry would tell them that he had written several books narrating the story of Meadowvale village, including the original Meadowvale village and the miniature version in his backyard, with a focus on the role his mother Rosemary played.
Terry revealed that his small village and the stories he shared in the books have a special appeal to people, making them feel that the world is still a rational place, and there is still a place that is peaceful and serene, where simple joys of life are appreciated, preserved, and cherished.