Chateau St. Louis

Chateau St. Louis
Ruins at the former site

The Chateau St. Louis (French: Château Saint-Louis) in Quebec City was the official residence of the French Governor of New France and later the British Governor of Quebec, the Governor-General of British North America, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada.

The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.[1]

First chateau

The first chateau was built under the direction of Governor Charles Huault de Montmagny in 1648 but by the 1680s it was in a state of disrepair.[2][3]

Second chateau

Construction of a replacement on the same site began in 1694 under Governor General Louis de Buade de Frontenac. Frontenac died there in 1698. A new pavilion and two new wings were added from 1719 to 1723 by Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry.

The building was then severely damaged during the Siege of Quebec after which time it passed into British hands.

The house was gradually rebuilt in sections over the next forty years. In the meantime the governors split their time between the St. Louis and a new building, called the New Chateau or Chateau Haldimand after governor Haldimand.[2][3]

The St. Louis was destroyed by fire in January 1834. Afterward it was replaced by a series of terraces.[4]

The site of the New Chateau is now occupied by the Chateau Frontenac hotel, which is named after Governor Frontenac.

During the 1830s the governor and his family also used a summer home in Sorel and the Chateau de Ramezay in Montreal.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  2. 1 2 Former official residences of the Lieutenant Governor of Québec. Lieutenant-gouverneur.qc.ca. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
  3. 1 2 Parks Canada - Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site - Structure and Organization of the Forts and Châteaux. Pc.gc.ca (2011-08-17). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
  4. ↑ Parks Canada - Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site - Structure and Organization of the Forts and Châteaux. Pc.gc.ca (2011-08-17). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
  5. ↑ "Some Notes on Architecture, Interiors, and Gardens in Quebec 1831" L. A. Aylmer, E. A. Wylie Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, Vol. 7, No. 2 (1975), pp. 2-8 Published by: Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493491

Coordinates: 46°48′45″N 71°12′16″W / 46.8124°N 71.2044°W / 46.8124; -71.2044

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