Architectural, Cultural sights in Montréal
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A
Maison St-Gabriel
This magnificent farmhouse in Pointe St-Charles is one of the finest examples of traditional Québec architecture. The house was bought in 1668 by Marguerite Bourgeoys to house a religious order. Young women, called the Filles du Roy, who were sent from Paris to Montréal to find husbands also stayed here. The 17th-century roof of the two-story building is of particular interest for its intricate beam work, one of the few of its kind in North America. The museum has an excellent collection of artifacts going back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with unusual items including sinks made from black stone and a sophisticated water-disposal system. It all gives visitors a…
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Mt Stephen Club
The Mt Stephen Club, dating from 1880, was an exclusive businessmen’s club named for the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The 15 rooms of this Renaissance-style mansion have been completely renovated by a private foundation and are rich with quality materials and skillful artistry, including a splendid mahogany staircase, marble mantelpieces and rather swanky furnishings. It’s still one of the swishest private clubs in town. The public can take it all in on weekends, during a seven-course Saturday-evening feast ($70) or a Sunday-morning brunch ($45); both feature live music. Free guided tours are included with Sunday brunch. Reservations and proper attire…
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Lieu Historique de Sir George-Étienne-Cartier
The Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site consists of two historic houses owned by the Cartier family. Exhibitions in the first detail the life of Sir George-Étienne Cartier, one of the founders of the Canadian Confederation, and illustrate the changes that society saw in his lifetime. The other house is a faithful reconstruction of his home during the Victorian era. Staff in period costume run guided tours throughout the day and hold dramatic presentations on etiquette and a servant’s life. In season the program includes a Victorian Christmas.
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D
Institut des Sourdes-Muettes
The little silver-plated cupola of the Deaf and Dumb Institute has reigned over the Plateau since 1900. An earlier building was built on clay, a problem typical to the area, and the soft ground gave way. The architects didn’t take any chances the second time around and the newer version sits on 1700 stakes and a concrete slab 60cm deep. The building still houses a private communications institute for the deaf, along with other offices.
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E
Chalet du Mont-Royal
Constructed in 1932, this grand old white villa, complete with bay windows, contains canvases that depict scenes of Canadian history. Big bands strut their stuff on the huge balcony in summer, reminiscent of the 1930s. Most people, however, flock here for the spectacular views of downtown from the Kondiaronk lookout nearby. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the park entrance on Ave de Pins.
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Masonic Memorial Temple
This Grand Lodge of Québec is one of the most imposing monuments on Rue Sherbrooke, built in 1929 to honor the fallen in WWI. Huge classical columns frame the facade while two mysterious obelisks with dragons and globes guard the entrance. Free guided tours are offered on an irregular basis; check ahead for a worthwhile glimpse into the secretive world of Freemasonry.
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Seagram House
For almost seven decades this faux château served as headquarters for the world’s largest distilling company – a child of the Prohibition era. When Seagram was sold to France’s Vivendi in 2000 the building was donated to McGill University; its new moniker is Martlet House (named after the mythical birds on the university coat of arms).
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H
Louis-Joseph Forget House
This Victorian mansion was built in the late 19th century for the first francophone chairman of the Montréal Stock Exchange. Forget was also a founding member of the Mont-Royal Club and ran the Canadian Pacific Railway – much like George Stephen, an earlier CPR president who founded the Mt Stephen Club.
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Reid Wilson House
This is one of Montréal’s finest old mansions, built in 1902 with an old coach house out back and an attached conservatory – rare features among the remaining Golden Square Mile homes. Architecture buffs will have a good time here picking out the Gothic, Italian and Romanesque Revival elements.
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Terrasse St-Denis
This little street off rue St-Denis was where Montréal's poets and writers met in the early 20th century. It is also nicknamed the 'hill of the Zouaves' for the houses built on the site of Sieur de Montigny, a Papal Zouave or guard.
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K
Mont St-Louis
This charming greystone was converted into a Christian boys’ school. The long, segmented facade is one of the best examples of French Second Empire style, with a mansard roof, arches and pavilions.
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