The village grew out of a 1980s volunteer effort to dismantle and reconstruct a historic log cabin, which became the first structure in what is now a cluster of period buildings depicting rural Wainfleet life in the 1800s. The site preserves a sense of how a small Ontario farming community once looked and worked.
The grounds are principally activated each Labour Day weekend for the Marshville Heritage Festival, when the buildings host artisans, antique displays, live demonstrations, music, train rides and children's activities. Outside the festival the village functions more as a heritage collection than a daily-open museum, so travellers should time a visit around scheduled events.
