Meadowvale Village
Home of Carl Ahrens from 1907-1909
September 28th, 2004
Today we drove from Toronto to Kitchener. Our first stop along the way was old Meadowvale Village, which was where Carl and Madonna Ahrens moved with their son, Laird, in 1907. Penelope was born there in 1908, and it was shortly after this that Carl fell very ill and nearly died. He went into the city of Toronto a few times a week, and the long walks to and from the train station were a real strain, as was the large garden he insisted on having and tending to. There were many artists living in the village then,
and the family was happy being out of the city, but the strains of living in the country eventually became too much and they had to move in 1909.
Today the village is largely
unchanged, as it has become
a heritage district within the boundaries of Mississauga. While new housing developments and strip malls surround the place, the village has strict rules for development. It is a peaceful little oasis in the middle of a big suburb. It is not particularly easy to find, either.
We exited off the 401 at Hurontonio and went north to Derry Road, then west to Creditview. At this point we turned south until we reached Old Creditview (there is a light), and this road was
supposed to turn into Old Derry Road, which is the main road running through Meadowvale. Confused yet? We were, but I had gotten my directions from a woman who had lived in the village about ten years ago, so I wasn't worried. (Turns out she hadn't been back since to know that there is no longer an intersection of Creditview and Old Derry.) It took a good hour of driving around, and a couple sets of horrible directions from gas station attendants, before we found a police officer, who told us where to turn.
We had no idea where the house was, as the only addressed envelope I have simply says Meadowvale. Madonna had mentioned that they lived on the mill dam, but there is not even a mill pond there now, or an obvious mill building. We decided just to wander around and get a feel for the place. We began our walk by the gazebo and quickly came to a tree that looked like it could have been in one of Carl's paintings. Chris realized there was what appeared to be a dried up creek bed behind the tree and immediately climbed down there, saying the light was great for photos. I followed and we both commented on having an eerie feeling that we were close to their old house, and that it was odd there would be a creek bed like this so far from the Credit River.
June 2006
I have now obtained a historical map of Meadowvale Village and learned that what we had thought was a creek bed was actually the mill stream. The gazebo had been at the location of the Old Mill, and the dam had been right around the bend in the old stream bed. About three steps to the left and we would have seen ruins of both the mill and the dam.
I contacted a friend of mine, artist Rick Taylor, who lives close to the area, and he agreed to check it out and see if he could find where the old house was. I sent whatever photos I had from their time in Meadowvale, and a couple included part of the house. It is board and batten construction, which narrowed down the choices a lot.
Turns out we had been close...very close...
The historic millpond, aka Willow Lake, in Meadowvale.
Old Derry Road
In the photo below you can see the "creek bed" - my cousin Chris and I had been just around that bend, about two steps out of the photo. In the foreground on the right is part of the ruin of the old mill dam. According to Madonna Ahrens, they lived "on the mill dam" which I could only take to mean "beside" as it wouldn't have been possible to literally be ON it.
The former mill stream
The location and construction of the house below makes it the most likely residence of Carl and Madonna Ahrens when they lived in Meadowvale. The backyard is right up against the site of the old mill pond and the former dam is right there. There was also room for a large garden.
Likely Ahrens residence 1908-1909
Carl with baby Penelope in 1908. He is in front
of Willow Lake in this photograph.
Part of the ruin of the old mill. You can see the gazebo I mentioned
in the journal just behind the stones.
Madonna Ahrens with baby Penelope in 1908.
Historical note:
Penelope Ahrens, the first daughter of Carl and Madonna
was born in Meadowvale in April of 1908. Madonna Ahrens
wrote in her memoirs that she loved Penelope "fiercely, but
always with a touch of fear." It turns out that she had reason
to worry. In December of 1910, Penelope developed a cold,
which turned into the croup, and she died at their home in
Toronto. Penelope is buried with Carl and Madonna at Park
Lawn Cemetery in West Toronto.
