Maillou House
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Maillou House © Parks Canada / J. Beardsell |
In 1958, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) recognized the Maillou House as a site of national historic significance for its historical and architectural values, taking into consideration that it is an example of French architecture, that well-known figures lived there and that it records a military presence in Québec City. Part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site, in 1990 the house was given classified building status by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office (FHBRO).
In 1736, Jean-Baptiste Maillou built a one-storey stone house. The luxury residence was subsequently owned by various members of the city’s elite. Reflecting the wealth of its owners, the townhouse is opulent. An upper storey was added in 1767 and the house was enlarged in 1799. In a typical 19th-century urban neighbourhood, the Maillou House bears eloquent witness to the French tradition of home architecture.
From 1760 to 1764, the house was occupied by the Military Council administering the region. It was acquired by the British Army in 1815, and the Commissariat made this its headquarters, serving as the repository for military funds and the officers’ billet. When British troops left in 1871, it became the headquarters of the militia and the Canadian army.
In 1958, the HSMBC recommended that the house be restored as one of 10 buildings that should be preserved for their architectural significance. In a time when heritage awareness was becoming important and when Parks Canada had been given a new mandate as a result of the Massey Report, this was the first restoration of a residential building designated for its architectural value. Completed in 1960, it was also a first major federal contribution to the work of restoring the Old City of Québec.