LeBer-LeMoyne House

Last updated

Le Ber-Le Moyne House Maison LeBer-LeMoyne 01.jpg
Le Ber-Le Moyne House

Le Ber-Le Moyne House (French : Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne) is the oldest complete building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, [1] built between 1669 and 1671. It is located in the borough of Lachine, bordering the Saint Lawrence River, between the Lachine Rapids and Lake Saint-Louis. It is a recognized National Historic Site of Canada since June 19, 2002. [2] The Le Ber-Le Moyne site and its archaeological collection have also been classified as heritage assets by the ministère de la Culture et des communications du Québec since 2001. [3]

Contents

The fur trading post (1669–1687)

The Le Ber-Le Moyne House was constructed on land which once belonged to the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. In 1667 Ville Marie's richest merchants, Jacques Le Ber and Charles Le Moyne bought the land from Cavelier de La Salle to construct Lachine's first fur trading post. Constructed between 1669 and 1671, the fur trading post enabled the two brothers-in-law to control the main access routes of the Lake Saint-Louis and consequently the fur trade. Archival records indicate that the merchants ceased to use the building sometime between 1680 and 1685. [4] Today the Le Ber-Le Moyne House is the last remaining structure that can be associated with Charles Le Moyne's career.

From trading post to farm house (1687–1844)

Following Le Moyne's death in 1685 his widow, Catherine Primot, sold the former fur trading post to Guillemot dit Lalande in 1687. The dit Lalande family did not remain in Lachine for very long. In 1689 the family abandoned their home following the Massacre of Lachine. [4]

In 1695 Marguerite Chorel, the wife of Guillaume de Lorimier, acquired the house and the surrounding land. The couple moved into their new home in 1698. Widowed in 1709, Chorel lived off the land with her children and continued to reside in the Le Ber-Le Moyne House until her death in 1736. Her daughter and son inherited the house and its surrounding farm land. [4]

Hugh Heney, an Irish inn owner, acquired the farm in 1765. Three years later, Heney hired Jean-Baptiste Crête to modernize the home. Heney never moved into the house himself but rather leased it and had his tenants cultivate the farmland. [4]

From farm house to manor (1844–1946)

With the widening of the Lachine Canal in the 1840s, the site's agricultural land was greatly diminished. The retired colonel Edward P. Wilgress acquired the property in 1844. Certain artworks, including Frances A. Hopkin's "Wilgress House and Garden, Lachine" (1858-1860) and J.E. Taylor's "The Cottage. Lachine" (1869) allow us to witness the house's numerous transformations over the course of the century.

Sold in 1901 to the merchant William Curie, the Le Ber-Le Moyne House became the Curie family's summer residence. [4]

From manor to museum (1946–present)

Commemorative plaque. Maison LeBer-LeMoyne Plaque.jpg
Commemorative plaque.

In the 1940s the mayor of Lachine, Anatole Carignan, recognized the Le Ber-Le Moyne House's historical value and believed the municipality should acquire it for the benefit of the community. When the house came up for sale in 1946, the City of Lachine purchased it for $25,000. Carignan decided to turn the old house into a history museum. The Manoir Lachine officially opened its doors to the public on June 24, 1948. [1]

In the early 1950s a fish hatchery with rearing ponds and aquariums was installed on the site of the museum. The hatchery was established by Quebec's ministère de la Chasse et de la pêche and the Office de biologie. Although the fish hatchery brought the museum widespread public attention, it closed in 1962. [5]

The museum underwent significant changes in the early 1980s. Most importantly, the Le Ber-Le Moyne House and its Dependency were stripped of the massive architectural additions from the 1950s and of earlier elements such as the porch and the dormers. The building was stripped of these and its many other additions to reveal the original stone walls and beams. The goal of this massive restoration project was to salvage the original architecture and restore its 17th-century appearance. [6]

Between 1998-2000 and 2009-2010, the firm Archéotec conducted archaeological digs in and around the Le Ber-Le Moyne House. Roughly 32,000 fragments and objects were uncovered during these digs. The artefacts and ecofacts document the various phases of the site's occupation. For instance, pottery shards, beads and tools dating back between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago confirm the presence of Native Americans on the Le Ber-Le Moyne site. [7] Furthermore, many suspected the trading post constructed by Le Ber and Le Moyne had been razed by fire during the Massacre in 1689 and reconstructed by Chorel and her husband between 1695 and 1698. The archaeological digs conducted by Archéotec have refuted this theory. Archaeologists have been unable to find traces of the supposed fire nor have they found anything that would indicate Chorel repaired or rebuilt the house. Archéotec suggests the large quantity of artefacts commonly used as trading goods during the French Regime confirm the house was in fact built by Le Moyne and Le Ber. [4]

Today the Le Ber-Le Moyne House is part of the Musée de Lachine complex. The Musée de Lachine comprises the Le Ber-Le Moyne heritage site, a designated archaeological collection, historical buildings constructed in the 17th century, and a sculpture garden known as the Musée plein air de Lachine. The sculpture garden is one of the largest in Canada and includes works by numerous artists including Bill Vazan, Ulysse Comtois, Marcel Barbeau, Michel Goulet and Linda Covit. In addition to the historical and archaeological objects on display in its permanent exhibition, each year the Musée de Lachine presents a contemporary art exhibition developed around works from its collection.

The museum is located 6 kilometers (4 miles) from Angrignon Metro station, and can be reached using the 110 and 195 buses operated by the Société de transport de Montréal in around 40 minutes.

Architecture

LeBer-LeMoyne House is considered an example of French Colonial architecture. The cedar shingles on the roof and lack of dormers are considered to be some of this style's characteristics. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longueuil</span> City in Quebec, Canada

Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census totalled 254,483, making it Montreal's second largest suburb, the fifth most populous city in Quebec and twentieth largest in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle</span> 17th-century French explorer and fur trader in North America

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was a 17th-century French explorer and fur trader in North America. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, and the Mississippi River. He is best known for an early 1682 expedition in which he canoed the lower Mississippi River from the mouth of the Illinois River to the Gulf of Mexico; there, on 9 April 1682, he claimed the Mississippi River basin for France after giving it the name La Louisiane, in honor of Saint Louis and Louis XIV. One source states that "he acquired for France the most fertile half of the North American continent". A later ill-fated expedition to the Gulf coast of Mexico gave the United States a claim to Texas in the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. La Salle was assassinated in 1687 during that expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachine Canal</span> Canal in southwestern Montreal, Canada

The Lachine Canal is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, Lasalle and Sud-Ouest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Quebec history (1663–1759)</span> Quebecs history between 1663 and 1759

This section of the Timeline of Quebec history concerns the events relating to the Quebec portion of New France between the establishment of the Sovereign Council and the fall of Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1680s in Canada</span>

Events from the 1680s in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaSalle, Quebec</span> Borough of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

LaSalle is the most southerly borough (arrondissement) of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the south-west portion of the Island of Montreal, along the Saint Lawrence River. Prior to 2002, it was a separate municipality that had been incorporated in 1912.

Pointe-Saint-Charles is a neighbourhood in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Historically a working-class area, the creation of many new housing units, the recycling of industrial buildings into business incubators, lofts, and condos, the 2002 re-opening of the canal as a recreation and tourism area, the improvement of public spaces, and heritage enhancement have all helped transform the neighbourhood and attract new residents. Community groups continue to be pro-active in areas related to the fight against poverty and the improvement of living conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Sud-Ouest</span> Borough of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

Le Sud-Ouest is a borough (arrondissement) of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachine, Quebec</span> Borough of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

Lachine is a borough (arrondissement) within the city of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pointe-à-Callière Museum</span> Archaeology and history museum in Quebec, Canada

Pointe-à-Callière Museum is a museum of archaeology and history in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1992 as part of celebrations to mark Montreal's 350th birthday. The museum has collections of artifacts from the First Nations of the Montreal region that illustrate how various cultures coexisted and interacted, and how the French and British empires influenced the history of this territory over the years. The site of Pointe-à-Callière has been included in Montreal’s Birthplace National Historic Site since its designation in 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Senneville</span> Fort in Senneville, Quebec, Canada

Fort Senneville is one of the outlying forts of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, built by the Canadiens of New France near the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue in 1671. The property was part of a fief ceded to Dugué de Boisbriant in 1672 by the Sulpicians. A large stone windmill, which doubled as a watch tower, was built on a hill by late 1686 and featuring machicolation and other castle-like features. The fort was burned down by Iroquois in 1691, with only the mill itself left standing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maison Saint-Gabriel</span> Farm museum in Quebec, Canada

The Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum is located in Montreal, Quebec and is dedicated to preserving the history, heritage and artifacts of the settlers of New France in the mid 17th century. The museum consists of a small farm, which has been administered for more than 300 years by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys in Montreal in 1658.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Burgundy</span> Neighbourhood in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Little Burgundy is a neighbourhood in the South West borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Jacques Le Ber was a merchant and seigneur in Montreal, New France. In 1686 he was ennobled by Louis XIV and took the title Jacques Le Ber de Saint-Paul de Senneville, based on his hometown of Senneville-sur-Fécamp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)</span> Historic military garrison in Quebec, Canada

Fort Saint-Jean is a fort in the Canadian province of Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment of France who had travelled to New France to assist the young colony. It was part of a series of forts built along the Richelieu River. Over the years, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times, but it is, after Quebec City, the military site that has been occupied non-stop for the longest time in Canada. The fort is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, and it currently houses the Royal Military College Saint-Jean. The fort has been continually occupied since 1748, and is the core from which the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec grew around. Fort Saint-Jean played a crucial role in the British defence strategy during the 1775 American invasion of the Province of Quebec.

The timeline of Montreal history is a chronology of significant events in the history of Montreal, Canada's second-most populated city, with about 3.5 million residents in 2018, and the fourth-largest French-speaking city in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Lévesque Park</span> Urban park in Montreal, Canada

René Lévesque Park is an urban park in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the borough of Lachine on a jetty between the Saint Lawrence River and the end of the Lachine Canal. Approximately 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft) in area, it is named after René Lévesque, the premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Lafortune</span> Canadian paper artist (1936–2020)

Claude Lafortune was a Canadian paper artist, set decorator, and television personality.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rémillard, François; Merrett, Brian (2007). Montreal Architecture: A Guide to Styles and Buildings. Les Editions Café Crème. p.  22. ISBN   978-2-923644-01-1.
  2. ↑ Le Ber-Le Moyne House National Historic Site of Canada . Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Ville de Montréal. "À propos du Musée - Historique", Musée de Lachine, Montréal, Retrieved on 31 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ville de Montréal. "Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne", Grand répertoire du patrimoine bâti de Montréal, Montréal, 28 November 2013. Retrieved on 31 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Bouchard, Lydia 2008). Un Musée qui a du coffre!, p. 27. Musée de Lachine, Montreal. ISBN   978-2-9800947-8-1.
  6. ↑ Bouchard, Lydia 2008). Un Musée qui a du coffre!, p. 30. Musée de Lachine, Montreal. ISBN   978-2-9800947-8-1.
  7. ↑ Bouchard, Lydia 2008). Un Musée qui a du coffre!, p. 39. Musée de Lachine, Montreal. ISBN   978-2-9800947-8-1.

45°25′48″N73°39′59″W / 45.43000°N 73.66639°W / 45.43000; -73.66639

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.