Montreal City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montreal City Hall |
|
|---|---|
|
Hôtel de Ville de Montréal (French)
|
|
Montreal City Hall, 2012
|
|
| General information | |
| Address | 275, rue Notre-Dame Est Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1C6 |
| Coordinates | 45°30′31″N 73°33′14″W / 45.5086°N 73.5539°W |
| Construction started | 1872 |
| Completed | 1878 |
| Renovated | 1922, 1932 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henri-Maurice Perrault Alexander Cowper Hutchison |
| Designated: | 1984 |
The Montreal City Hall (in French, Hôtel de Ville de Montréal) is a very important building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is where the local government of Montreal works. This means it's where the city's leaders and officials make decisions about how the city is run.
The building has five floors and was designed by two architects, Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison. It was built between 1872 and 1878. The style of the building is called Second Empire, which was popular in France at that time. You can find it in Old Montreal, a historic part of the city. It's located at 275 Notre-Dame Street East, between Place Jacques-Cartier and the Champ de Mars. If you want to visit, the closest Metro station is Champ-de-Mars on the Orange Line.
Montreal City Hall is a great example of the Second Empire style in Canada. It was also the first city hall in Canada built only for city government. Because of its importance, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.
Contents
History of Montreal City Hall
The construction of the original Montreal City Hall started in 1872 and finished in 1878. This first building was beautiful, but it faced a big challenge.
The Great Fire of 1922
In March 1922, a terrible fire badly damaged the building. Most of the inside was destroyed, and many important city records were lost. Only the outer walls were left standing.
After the fire, the city decided to rebuild. Architect Louis Parant was chosen for this big job. He decided to build a completely new structure inside the old walls. This new building had a strong steel frame that supported itself.
Rebuilding and New Design
The new City Hall was designed to look like the city hall in Tours, a city in France. Some parts of the building were changed. For example, the original roof, which was made of slate tiles, was replaced with a new copper roof. The new design also included elements of the Beaux-Arts style, which was popular for grand public buildings. The rebuilt City Hall officially opened on February 15, 1926.
Famous Speech at City Hall
In 1967, a very famous event happened at Montreal City Hall. Charles de Gaulle, who was the president of France at the time, gave his well-known Vive le Québec libre speech from the building's balcony. This speech was a big moment in Canadian history.
Images for kids
-
Montreal City Hall, 2012
See also
In Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Montreal para niños
