LeBer-LeMoyne House facts for kids
The Le Ber-Le Moyne House (also called Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne in French) is the oldest complete building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It stands in the area of Lachine, right next to the Saint Lawrence River. It's located between the Lachine Rapids and Lake Saint-Louis.
This historic house has been a recognized National Historic Site of Canada since 2002. The Le Ber-Le Moyne site and its old objects found there are also protected by Quebec's culture department.
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A Busy Fur Trading Post (1669–1687)
The Le Ber-Le Moyne House was built on land that once belonged to a famous French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. In 1667, two very rich merchants from Montreal, Jacques Le Ber and Charles Le Moyne, bought the land. They wanted to build Lachine's very first fur trading post.
The trading post was built between 1669 and 1671. It helped these two brothers-in-law control the main water routes around Lake Saint-Louis. This meant they could control the important fur trade in the area. Records show that the merchants stopped using the building around 1680 to 1685. Today, the Le Ber-Le Moyne House is the only building left that shows us what Charles Le Moyne's work life was like.
From Trading Post to Farm House (1687–1844)
After Charles Le Moyne passed away in 1685, his wife, Catherine Primot, sold the old fur trading post. She sold it to a family named Guillemot dit Lalande in 1687. However, this family did not stay in Lachine for long. They left their home in 1689 after a terrible event known as the Massacre of Lachine.
In 1695, Marguerite Chorel, who was married to Guillaume de Lorimier, bought the house and the land around it. The couple moved into their new home in 1698. Marguerite became a widow in 1709. She continued to live on the land with her children and stayed in the Le Ber-Le Moyne House until she died in 1736. Her daughter and son then inherited the house and its farmland.
Later, in 1765, an Irish inn owner named Hugh Heney bought the farm. Three years later, Heney hired Jean-Baptiste Crête to update the house. Heney himself never lived in the house. Instead, he rented it out and had his tenants farm the land.
From Farm House to Summer Manor (1844–1946)
In the 1840s, the Lachine Canal was made wider. This meant that much of the farm's land was lost. A retired colonel named Edward P. Wilgress bought the property in 1844. Paintings from that time show how the house changed over the years.
In 1901, a merchant named William Curie bought the Le Ber-Le Moyne House. It then became a summer home for the Curie family.
From Manor to Museum (1946–Present)
In the 1940s, the mayor of Lachine, Anatole Carignan, saw how important the Le Ber-Le Moyne House was to history. He believed the city should buy it for everyone to enjoy. So, when the house went up for sale in 1946, the City of Lachine bought it for $25,000.
Mayor Carignan decided to turn the old house into a history museum. The Manoir Lachine officially opened its doors to the public on June 24, 1948.
In the early 1950s, a fish hatchery was set up at the museum site. It had ponds and aquariums for raising fish. Even though the fish hatchery made the museum very popular, it closed in 1962.
The museum changed a lot in the early 1980s. Many parts that had been added to the Le Ber-Le Moyne House over the years were removed. This included additions from the 1950s, and older parts like the porch. The goal was to show the original stone walls and wooden beams. This big restoration project aimed to bring back the house's look from the 1600s.
Between 1998-2000 and 2009-2010, a company called Archéotec did archaeological digs around the house. They found about 32,000 pieces and objects! These items help us understand the different times people lived on the site. For example, pieces of pottery, beads, and tools from 2,000 to 2,500 years ago show that Native Americans lived there long ago.
Today, the Le Ber-Le Moyne House is part of the Musée de Lachine complex. This complex includes the historic Le Ber-Le Moyne site, a special collection of archaeological finds, old buildings from the 1600s, and a sculpture garden. The sculpture garden is called the Musée plein air de Lachine and is one of the largest in Canada. It features works by many artists.
Besides the historical and archaeological items on display, the Musée de Lachine also shows new art exhibitions each year.
You can reach the museum by public transport. It's about 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Angrignon Metro station. You can take the 110 and 195 buses, which takes about 40 minutes.
House Design and Style
The Le Ber-Le Moyne House is a great example of French Colonial architecture. Its roof is covered with cedar shingles, and it does not have dormers (windows sticking out from the roof). These are some of the special features of this building style.
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In Spanish: Museo de Lachine para niños
