Moulin du Petit-Pré facts for kids
The Moulin du Petit-Pré, also known as the Moulin de Monseigneur-de-Laval, is a very old water-powered flour mill. It is located in Château-Richer, Quebec, Canada. This mill sits on the north shore of the St. Lawrence river, about 20 kilometers northeast of Québec City. It is special because it is the oldest commercial flour mill in North America!
This mill was built for the Seminary of Quebec by Bishop François de Laval. Construction started in 1691 and finished by 1695. Over its 325-year history, the mill has ground wheat, cut lumber, and even prepared wool. It was damaged or destroyed by fire three times. Today, the mill is an important cultural and historical place in Quebec.
Contents
History of the Old Mill
Building the Mill
The mill was built between 1691 and 1695 by Charles Pouliot. It used power from the Petit-Pré river to grind wheat into flour. This flour was then sold to local merchants. Jean Richard was the first person to work as a miller here.
Fires and Rebuilding
In 1702, a fire damaged the building. It was repaired four years later, and the mill could grind flour again. Between 1732 and 1744, many repairs and improvements were made. In 1742, the building was made bigger to hold a third mill for grinding.
In 1759, the mill and other buildings in the Côte de Beaupré area were burned. This happened during a siege by British General James Wolfe. Jesuits rebuilt the mill over the next five years. They also put in two new grinding mills. Antoine Nadeau, who had rented the mill since 1757, paid for much of the repairs.
New Uses Over Time
In 1778, the seminary added a third grinding mill. In 1810, Charles Bélanger got permission to add a saw mill to the building. The saw mill was finished in 1819. After Quebec stopped using the seigneurial system, the mill was also used to prepare wool. Joseph Joseph Coté added this new function.
In 1871, the seminary sold the mill to George Benson Hall, Jr.. It was a combined saw mill, flour mill, and wool mill. Six years later, fire destroyed the mill again. It was rebuilt right away. This time, an updated turbine replaced the old water wheel. In 1877, the mill was sold to Richard Temblay. In 1889, he gave it to his son, also named Richard. In 1897, Zoé Richard bought the mill. Her daughter inherited it in January 1925.
Modern History of the Mill
In 1944, the Château-Richer Cooperative took over the mill. Pierre Jobidon bought it in 1965. A year later, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs bought the mill. In the 1970s, people dug up parts of the mill to learn about its past. This helped them restore it to how it looked around 1763.
In 1982, the mill housed some local government offices. It also had a cultural center from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. In 1995, Gestion Promiel Inc. became the owner. In 2002, a group called Corporation pour la mise en valeur du Moulin du Petit Pré was formed. They did more restoration work, which finished in 2003.
The Mill Today
Since 2003, the mill has been a small cultural history museum. Visitors can explore the center, which has a bistro and a reception hall. It also hosts many community events. In 2003, it won the Tourism Novelty Award of Bienvenue Québec.
See also
- List of watermills
- List of windmills in Quebec
