Data Point related to: ELEMENT
LeBer-LeMoyne House - Musée de Lachine
Le Ber-Le Moyne House, or Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne in French, is Montreal's oldest intact building, constructed between 1669 and 1671. Situated in the borough of Lachine along the Saint Lawrence River, between the Lachine Rapids and Lake Saint-Louis, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on June 19, 2002. The house and its archaeological collection have also been recognized as heritage assets by Quebec’s ministère de la Culture et des communications since 2001.
Originally built as a fur trading post between 1669 and 1687, the house was constructed on land once owned by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Wealthy merchants Jacques Le Ber and Charles Le Moyne purchased the property in 1667 to control the primary trade routes around Lake Saint-Louis. Records suggest that the building ceased to serve as a trading post between 1680 and 1685, making it the last surviving structure associated with Charles Le Moyne’s career.
After Le Moyne’s death in 1685, his widow, Catherine Primot, sold the property in 1687 to Guillemot dit Lalande, who abandoned it in 1689 following the Massacre of Lachine. Marguerite Chorel, wife of Guillaume de Lorimier, acquired it in 1695 and resided there until her death in 1736. Her family continued to occupy the house until it was sold in 1765 to Irish innkeeper Hugh Heney, who modernized it but never lived there himself, leasing it to tenants instead.
By 1844, the property was significantly diminished due to the expansion of the Lachine Canal. It was acquired by retired Colonel Edward P. Wilgress, and during this period, several artworks captured its transformation, including Frances A. Hopkin’s 'Wilgress House and Garden, Lachine' and J.E. Taylor’s 'The Cottage, Lachine.' The house became the summer residence of the Curie family after merchant William Curie purchased it in 1901.
In the 1940s, Lachine Mayor Anatole Carignan recognized the historical importance of the Le Ber-Le Moyne House, leading to the City of Lachine’s purchase in 1946 for $25,000. The building was converted into the Manoir Lachine Museum, which opened to the public on June 24, 1948. A fish hatchery with rearing ponds and aquariums was added to the site in the early 1950s, drawing public interest, but the hatchery closed in 1962.
The museum underwent major restoration in the 1980s to reveal the original stone walls and beams, removing 1950s additions and restoring the house to its 17th-century appearance. Archaeological digs conducted between 1998-2000 and 2009-2010 by the firm Archéotec unearthed around 32,000 artifacts, documenting various phases of the site’s history, including pottery shards and tools that confirm a Native American presence dating back 2,000 to 2,500 years.
Today, the Le Ber-Le Moyne House is part of the Musée de Lachine, which includes the heritage site, an archaeological collection, 17th-century buildings, and a sculpture garden known as the Musée plein air de Lachine. The garden, one of Canada’s largest, features works by artists such as Bill Vazan, Ulysse Comtois, Marcel Barbeau, Michel Goulet, and Linda Covit. In addition to historical exhibits, the Musée de Lachine also hosts contemporary art exhibitions each year.
Located 6 kilometers (4 miles) from Angrignon Metro station, the museum is accessible via the 110 and 195 buses operated by the Société de transport de Montréal, with a travel time of approximately 40 minutes.
The Le Ber-Le Moyne House exemplifies French Colonial architecture, notable for its cedar-shingled roof and absence of dormers.
Type of Data Point - Basic Data Point - Source Wikipedia
LeBer-LeMoyne House - Wikipedia
Visit page of the element - LeBer-LeMoyne House - Musée de Lachine
Inserted: 07-11-2024 00:11:34
Questions related to this Data Point
How accessible is the Le Ber-Le Moyne House - Musée de Lachine for visitors traveling from central Montreal?
How did the 1980s restoration efforts impact the preservation of Le Ber-Le Moyne House's original architecture?
How did the Le Ber-Le Moyne House’s role evolve from a fur trading post to part of the Musée de Lachine?
How does the Le Ber-Le Moyne House contribute to Quebec’s cultural heritage as recognized by the ministère de la Culture?
What historical significance does the Le Ber-Le Moyne House hold in Montreal's architectural history?
What is the significance of the archaeological findings at Le Ber-Le Moyne House for understanding Indigenous history in the region?
What role does the Musée de Lachine’s sculpture garden play in enhancing the cultural experience at Le Ber-Le Moyne House?
What strategic advantages did the Le Ber-Le Moyne House location offer for the fur trade in the 17th century?
Contexts related to this Data Point
Architecture in the city
Historical buildings
Map of Montreal
Map of Quebec
Museum in the City
People related to this Data Point
Entities related to this Data Point
No Entities found
Words related to this Data Point
No Words found
Dates/Years/Periods related to this Data Point
Image Gallery
Credits: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Other Data Points
Zbičina is a village on the island of Cres. Administratively, the settlement belongs to the city of Cres. It is located south of Valunsko Bay, at an altitude of about 230 meters. The nearest ...
Information about Consiliul Raional Edinet in Edineţ, Moldova. The Consiliul Raional Edinet is located in Edineţ and its coordinates are 48.1735 (North), 27.3011 (East). It could be interest ...
Three Christian militia fighters were kidnapped on January 15, 2022, in Nova Zambézia, located within the Cabo Delgado province of northeastern Mozambique. Tragically, all three ...
The ancient town of Sipar, once a thriving settlement reduced to submerged ruins, holds significant archaeological interest. Positioned approximately 7 km north of contemporary Umag in Croat ...
The edifice, envisioned by Frigyes Schulek and finalized in 1884, is alternatively recognized as the 'Cockerel church' due to the embellishment of a rooster atop its tower. This exemplifies ...
