Visiting Maison Saint-Gabriel in Montréal

Stepping through the doors of Maison Saint-Gabriel in Montréal is like stepping back in time. This beautifully preserved farm and historic site offers a unique glimpse into the lives of the Filles du Roy and the early settlers of New France. From the moment you arrive, the serene grounds and authentic stone buildings transport you to a pivotal era in Canadian history.

History

Maison Saint-Gabriel, located in the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighborhood of Montréal, is one of the oldest surviving rural buildings in the city and a significant site in Canadian history.

In 1668, Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame de Montréal (Congregation of Notre-Dame of Montreal), acquired a farmhouse and surrounding land to establish a self-sustaining farm for the congregation. (If you’d like to learn more about Marguerite Bourgeoys, be sure to visit Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Montréal.)

The site also served as a residence for the Filles du Roy (or in English, King’s Daughters). These were young, unmarried women that were sent to New France to marry and establish families. They were meant to help grow the population in New France since the population was not growing quite as rapidly as the New England colonies further south.

For nearly three centuries, Maison Saint-Gabriel functioned as a model farm operated by the sisters, supplying food to the community. The house also served as a school for the children in the area since the other school in town was much too far.

In 1966, the house was restored and opened to the public as a museum, offering insights into rural life in New France. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2007 and a historic monument by the Quebec government in 1965.

Getting There

This historic site is located in Pointe-Saint-Charles neighborhood of Montréal. If you’re staying in downtown Montréal or Old Port, it’s really not a walkable distance.

There are metro stations that will take you to the neighborhood. Your first option is to take the green line to Charlevoix Station. It would be about a 20-minute walk to Maison Saint-Gabriel.

Your second option is to take the green line to the LaSalle Station. It would be about a 15-minute walk to Maison Saint-Gabriel from this station.

When I went, I drove in from downtown Montréal. Driving through downtown was not fun and when I got to the site, there was a very small lot to park in. There were enough spots for about 5 cars. Because of this, if you’re comfortable with taking public transit and walking, that might be the best option.

Visiting Maison Saint-Gabriel

Visiting this historic site is a bit like stepping back in time. Learn about visiting this National Historic Site of Canada, from touring the home to exploring the gardens.

The House

Tours are offered in English, French, and self-guided with an audio tour. There were two French tours available, then one English, and in the late afternoon was when the audio tour was. Since I don’t like audio tours (I usually just end up not listening to the audio and looking at stuff), I decided to go with the English tour with an actual docent. It’s the only way that I actually learn about the history since audio tours don’t do it for me.

The docent that led my tour was extremely knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. We got a good mix of history, interesting stories, and she even let us know a little bit about the architecture/how the house was built, which is usually a hit or miss.

Below are some things that I learned while I was on the tour that I found interesting enough to jot down during the tour:

• New France did not do well with getting the population up in the beginning. The ratio of men to women was 14 men to 1 woman (not a great ratio if you’re trying to populate an area). So, they shipped women (known as the King’s Daughters) there to populate the colony (these women lived in the house). They knew New England colonies were growing rapidly and they wanted that for their colony (this fact caught my attention since I have lived in New England my entire life).
• It got so cold in the winter that horses died every year. There were only 12 horses in the colony. 6 of them happened to live on the farm at Maison Saint-Gabriel.
• They slept with three pillows because they were afraid of dying in their sleep. They thought that if they were laying flat, death would take them (this was a belief that they brought with them from France).
• They only took 1 to 2 full baths a year. They were afraid of getting extremely ill from the river water. This was because the rivers in France were extremely polluted, and people DID get really sick. However, in the new colony, the rivers were not polluted like that so they likely would not have had that problem. A visitor from another country once remarked that they were so stinky, he could smell them coming from meters away.

Below are a couple of pictures I snapped with my cellphone inside the house:

The Grounds and Gardens

After you’re done touring the house, be sure to walk around the grounds and enjoy the gardens. When I went, there wasn’t a ton that was in bloom, but I found some Irises and Shasta Daisies.

There was also a nice spot to relax in the garden. It was a quiet, peaceful spot where you could be surrounded by lush greenery.

Something I found really interesting on the grounds was an outdoor bread oven (often called a summer oven). While there was a bread oven inside the house, it was a real fire hazard. And in the summer months, baking inside would have likely been unbearably hot.

Is It Worth Visiting?

If you like history and don’t mind having to make the trip (whether driving or using public transportation), I’d say it’s worth a visit. This site is a very important part of Montréal’s history. Not only is it one of the oldest examples of rural architecture in Montréal, but it also played a pivotal part in Montréal’s history.

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