Henry Morgan Building facts for kids
The Henry Morgan Building (also known as Maison Morgan in French) is a famous building in Montreal, Canada. It is located at 585 Saint Catherine Street West in the heart of downtown Montreal. Today, it is home to the main Hudson's Bay Company store in the city. The building is named after Henry Morgan, a merchant who was born in Scotland and later became very successful in Montreal.
History of the Building
The Henry Morgan Building was constructed between 1889 and 1891. It was designed by an American architect named John Pearce Hill. The building has four floors and was built in a style called Neo-Romanesque. This style uses design ideas from old Roman buildings, like rounded arches and strong, heavy walls. The building was made from special Old Red Sandstone that was brought all the way from Scotland.
This building was originally home to Morgan's department store. A department store is a large shop that sells many different types of goods, like clothes, furniture, and household items. The Hudson's Bay Company bought Morgan's store in 1960.
Before the Henry Morgan Building was built, the area had several townhouses. These were houses built close together in a row. Some of the stones used to build these old houses came from the ruins of the Parliament Building that burned down in 1849. One of these townhouses belonged to Dr. William Hales Hingston, who was the mayor of Montreal from 1875 to 1877.
The building has been changed and expanded over the years. In 1923, an eight-story addition was built. This part was designed in the Beaux-Arts style, which is a grand and formal architectural style. It also used red stone to match the original building. Later, in 1964, another eight-story section was added. This part has a more modern look, with very few windows, except on the ground floor.
Getting There by Transit
The Henry Morgan Building is easy to reach using public transportation. It is connected to the Montreal Metro subway system. You can get off at McGill station, and there is an entrance to the store directly from the subway station on Union Avenue.
