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Maison Saint Gabriel- The Oldest Montreal Farmhouse

© Norman P. Goldman

There are very few structures in Montreal which date back to the French Regime.

One such structure is Maison Saint-Gabriel that is the only remaining 17th century farmhouse located in Montreal.

This farmhouse was built in 1698 and enlarged in 1726 and 1728.

A visit to this fascinating site is well worth the trip to Pointe St Charles where the house is located. You will immediately notice the stone exterior walls of the house, which are two feet thick.

The design of the building appears to be a replicate of a typical Quebec rural house during the 17th century.

One of the prime objectives of this type of architecture was the adaptation to the environment. The foundations of the property, which you will notice are constructed in stone, gradually rise above the level of the ground in order to fend off the accumulation of snow during the harsh Montreal winters.

If you go inside the farmhouse you will discover a very simple interior comprising a large common room which was used as a kitchen and living room, a parlour and one or two other rooms. The bottom level of the building was often used as a storage area.

What is very interesting about this house is that Marguerite Bourgeoys purchased the property in order to house the Filles du Roy or as they are known in English as the King's daughters.

These women were recruited to New France due to the fact that there was at the beginning of the 1660s a very pronounced shortage of single women.

When Jean Talon in the early 1660's conducted the first census of Nouvelle France (New France) he was astonished to discover that of the 3000 French inhabitants there were only 45 women between the ages of 16-40 available to marry.

The king of France Louis X1V was advised that if he intended to increase the population of Nouvelle France he had to recruit women of marriageable age and these women became known as Filles du Roi.

The Maison Saint-Gabriel became the home to these women and also the meeting place where eligible bachelors would come and look for a wife.

In 1965 this farmhouse was restored and visitors will find throughout the property all kinds of very interesting objects such as authentic furniture and utensils displayed as if they just been used.

If you close your eyes you may also be able to picture how these Filles du Roi lived during the early part of the 18th century.

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