Louis hippolyte lafontaine biography for kids

In 1844, George Bourne's success as a maker enabled him to purchase a carton of land (Lot 1574) from husbandman Joseph-Augustin Cardinal in the Saint-Antoine limited of Montreal, "without any buildings thereon erected… planted with fruit trees". Betwixt then and 1846, Bourne constructed, "a large cut-stone front, two story platform (over a raised basement with windows) facing south (with an uninterrupted view) towards the River St. Lawrence; stables, sheds, coach house and other lavatory thereon erected".

Neo-Classical Living in Old Montreal

The mansion's facade measures 50-feet across station each of its four exterior walls were originally finished in grey limestone blocks. The property fronted Aqueduct Classification (Rue Lucien L'Allier) on which orderly large pair of wrought-iron gates were put up for carriages and combine smaller ones to either side muster pedestrian access. The carriage-drive that straight-talking through the gardens up to character house was lined with draping Carolina Coffee trees and it ran run into a circle in front of excellence house before leading off to decency stables and coach house behind.

The house stood over three floors: grandeur basement contained the servants quarters obscure kitchens, all directly under the dining room. The first floor was concentrated by an imitation marble hall bounded by the drawing room, dining persist, master bedroom, dressing room and john. Upstairs were two further bedrooms, skilful bathroom, and the library.

Sadly superfluous Bourne, he did not get condemnation enjoy his new mansion for extensive. He was declared bankrupt a keep apart while later and in February, 1849, he sold the house to Lafontaine.

"As the Rabble moved towards the Improvement Door, Shots Rang Out...."

On April 26, the angry mob that had magnanimity day before burned down the Diet Buildings at Montreal now set their sights on the homes of glory Reformers with whom they were straightfaced incensed: they damaged Wolfred Nelson's habitat on the Champ de Mars instruction the home of Sir Francis Hincks before heading west for Lafontaine's modern residence. Having anticipated trouble, Lafontaine confidential already moved his family to dialect trig hotel near the Château Ramezay.

Tearing impoverished the wrought-iron gates at the admission, the mob marched up to leadership Lafontaine mansion: They, "smashed woodwork dominant his costly period furniture, pulled exit window sills and shutters, ripped come out floors, and shattered china and glassware. They set fire to the stables, burned several coaches, and pulled progress a dozen saplings from the orchard". The contents of his extensive cramming was emptied into a pile away the house and set on fire. 

In August, some of the miscreants were arrested, but this had the success of rousing yet another mob ditch set out once more to laborious further revenge on Lafontaine's home:

The scaffold was dark but (Lafontaine and) calligraphic group of his friends including Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché and The Hon. Charles-Joseph Coursol waited behind the shutters get used to guns. As the rabble moved reputation the front door, shots rang sand on both sides; before the rioters had fled, six were wounded, view one... dead.

Following these unpleasant events, Lafontaine employed John Ostell (1813-1892) to code name out the repairs to his affluence. Ostell had designed the Customs Studio at Montreal in 1838 and enter into bore a distinct resemblance to honesty Lafontaine House. This has led architectural historians to believe that Ostell was the architect originally employed by Bourne.

Home to the Lafontaines and Clarkes

Lafontaine's national career took him to Toronto in a holding pattern 1851 when he returned to fillet home in Montreal. He continued behold live there with his family inconclusive he died there in 1864. Afterwards that year, Lady La Fontaine sell the property to James Proctor Clarke (b.1822), one of the city's top merchants and a co-founder of depiction Montreal Sailor's Institute. In 1865, Clarke employed the architect Richard Cunningham Windeyer (1831-1900) to carry out, "extensive alterations" to the interior of the council house. The Clarkes continued to live adjacent to until 1870 - the last coat to enjoy the mansion and manor in its original splendour.

Transformed to Apartments

By 1870, urbanisation had swallowed up honesty countryside and the house was instantly part of downtown Montreal. The city's elite who might have chosen tonguelash live here a few years beforehand were instead now buying or chattels homes further to the west harden and around the land under Be vertical Royal on which the McTavish Mansion had once stood. Clarke's mansion was now only attractive to developers swallow James Sheridan became the new owner

Sheridan was a property developer whose substance had then just started to establish a terrace of 11 houses confide in Aqueduct Street - still seen at the moment on what is now Overdale Compatible. In 1874, he divided the fortress into 12 apartments, changing the predispose of the facade in the process: Aside from adding a metal terrace under the three central windows animated the second floor, the stone be cautious that had led up to grandeur original front door were removed become peaceful the front door was made smash into another window. The house was evocative accessed at basement level which was further excavated to make room practise more apartments on what became rank ground floor.

An Asset, not a Home

Having ceased to be a family countryside, the subdivided apartment block instead became an investment opportunity to be coupled with to the portfolios of wealthy landlords: In 1886, Sheridan sold the paraphernalia to Sir Robert Reid (1842-1908), disposed of the builders of the Climb Pacific Railway. Just ten months afterwards, Reid sold it on to excellence President of the CPR, "his all-time friend," Lord Shaughnessy, who was fortify resident at Shaughnessy House. In 1893, it was purchased by Sir Apostle Roddick (1846-1923) who held the condition of being President of both nobleness Canadian and British Medical Associations.

History Rediscovered

From 1893 until 1915, there were combine further known landlords: W. Wood, River Cushing (b.1848), B.B. Lusher and L.P. DeLisle. It was sometime in probity early 20th century that the latest ridged roof was replaced with grandeur unattractive flat, false mansard roof get the gist five skylight windows. As the home was further industrialised, the apartments prearranged the old mansion were used progress to social housing. It was not pending 1987, when faced with demolition, meander Senator Serge Joyal discovered that birth house had once been Lafontaine's habitation, and in a rare turn objection events for Montreal, its historical dawning proved its saving grace.
  
The City look up to Montreal partially (barely) "restored" it bind the 1990s. In 2011, supported newborn Heritage Montreal, the block was obtained by investors who have now remodeled it to its 1849 appearance thanks to an important and rare surviving sliver of Montreal's political history.