| a Farm ... |
| In 1662, Marguerite Bourgeoys receives a plot of
land situated on the banks of the majestic St. Lawrence River, near Fort
Pointe-à-Callière. And so begins the history of Maison Saint-Gabriel, a farm in
Pointe-St-Charles, developed by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame to meet the
needs of the community and support the work of Marguerite Bourgeoys in New France. |
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a
welcome house... |
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After
acquiring a second plot of land and a house in 1668, the development of the farm increases
and Marguerite Bourgeoys welcomes the filles du Roy from 1668 to 1673. During this
period, the 30-acre farm becomes their home where they learn to adapt to the rigorous
climate and to become independent women, able to cope with the hard life of the colony
while waiting to find husbands. |
| The well |
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| The house bought in
1668 burns to the ground in 1693; only the dairy remains standing to this day. It takes
five years to rebuild on the original foundations the structure which now houses the
Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum. A large fieldstone house with a steeply pitched roof, it
consists of a cellar, two floors and an attic with a section added on the west side in
1826. It is a typical French Canadian farmhouse. |
|
there is Action
at the farm in the Point... |
| The house serves as a school for the children of
the settlers and as a workshop where girls are taught appropriate crafts and rudimentary
skills. But its main purpose is to accommodate the sisters who operate and administer the
farm, which measures 212 acres before being divided up in 1850. |
| large scale
farming, market gardening and cattle raising... |
For three centuries the resident sisters share
in community life by operating the farm, thus providing for the material well-being of the
teaching sisters who provide free schooling.
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Ferme
Saint-Gabriel |
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a
Museum... |
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By 1965, only a small
part of the huge property remains. No farming has been done since 1950. Forces for change
require that the land be expropriated to meet the demands of industrialization and urban
development. But thanks to the meticulous restoration, the presence of Marguerite
Bourgeoys lives on through the work of her daughters. |
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| The work begins in 1965 and each
room in the house, from cellar to dormitory, to attic, is restored to its original state
with its furniture, utensils, sculptures and paintings. The inventory of 1722 was
consulted to determine the contents of the original house, to make it a heritage museum,
an oasis of living history. |
|
| from Cellar
to Attic... |
| In 1966, Maison Saint-Gabriel opens its doors to
the public. Since that time, it has been providing a unique guided tour which arouses our
sense of history, takes us back to our roots and helps us appreciate the pride of the
early settlers of Ville-Marie (Montréal). Moreover, it helps us understand the
charismatic quality of the renowned woman, Marguerite Bourgeoys. The actual house presents:
- a typical example of 17th-century French Canadian architecture;
- handcrafted furniture dating from the 17th and 18th centuries;
- diverse collections of artistic and ethnological artifacts.
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| Goblet, mug, bowl and plate |
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|
| a look
around... |
| The kitchen looks very familiar with its long
benches, the utensils from days gone by, the antique kneading trough, the sideboard for
food and dishes, the bench with its pots and pans; all this gives us a very good notion of
how the early settlers lived in Ville-Marie. Today the land chosen by Marguerite Bourgeoys more than 300 years ago has become
an historic site and the house and barn have been declared to be monuments of national
interest by the Commission for the Historic Monuments of the Province of Quebec. |
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18th-century kitchen |
A Gift from the
Past
which looks towards the future... |
| So that the museum may respond to present and future needs while preserving the past,
the stone barn built in the 1860s is put into use. The building is restored without
structural or architectural changes, adapting it so as to set up needed extra rooms and
offices. |
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Costumed interpreter |
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In one
room, young people learn history by taking part in the activities of the museum. Another
room presents exhibits using the valuable artifacts and precious collections preserved
from the past. |
Come and experience the daily life at the time of
the first settlers and the Filles du Roy |
| Authentic furniture, utensils and objects in daily use in the
17th and 18th centuries are here, set up as if they had been used only yesterday. Maison
Saint-Gabriel is the only 17th-century farm-house still in existence in Montréal... Only
five kilometers from downtown. |
 |
| Table |
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| An historic site well worth the detour... |
Maison Saint-Gabriel
2146 Dublin place, Pointe-Saint-Charles
Montréal (Quebec) H3K 2A2
Subway: Charlevoix station, then bus 57 or Victoria Square station, then bus 61
Tel: (514) 935-8136 Fax: (514) 935-5692
E-mail: msgrcip@globetrotter.qc.ca
Internet : www.maisonsaint-gabriel.qc.ca
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© 1999, Museum
of New France — Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation for:
La Maison Saint-Gabriel
2146 Dublin place, Pointe-Saint-Charles, Montréal (Quebec) H3K 2A2
Tel: (514) 935-8136 Fax: (514) 935-5692
E-mail: msgrcip@globetrotter.qc.ca
Internet: www.maisonsaint-gabriel.qc.ca
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