44. 'Quebec' House

44a. Quebec House (Prov. of Quebec)

The QUEBEC HOUSE came into existence in the province of Quebec near the end of the 19th century. The style proved so popular over the years that it seemed to represent the province and hence the unusual name.

Quebec has an astonishing number of houses that date back to the 1700's and even a small number from the 1600. (Remember, the British under the incredibly lucky James Wolfe, took over New France in 1759!)

If you visit Quebec (and you should) watch for wonderful old buildings along both shores of the St. Lawrence and around the approximately 47 km. road that rings the I'le de Orleans.

44b. Quebec House

44c. Quebec House

Both 44b. and 44c. are representative of the Quebec Houses found in the garden center of I'le de Orleans, just to the east of Quebec City.

What to look for (clues)

- Small to medium, symmetrical houses that are normally raised a little bit above the ground. The long side of the house faces the street.

- The gable roof is quite large and steep to ward off the heavy snowfalls that exist in the area. Dormer windows usually project through the roof. The roof is normally curved at the eaves (bell cast) to avoid dumping snow on visitors.

- A central staircase leads to the building-wide front verandah.

- Large casement windows open inward. There may be two or four on the main level. When the house was built wooden shutters would be employed during the winter to retain the warmth. Nowadays, these shutters may have been replaced by a set of storm windows covering the original panes.

- The walls are normally stone. Sometimes a stucco has been applied over the stones. Occasionally, wood siding has been erected on the side of the house that faces the worst weather.

Modern versions of the Quebec House frequently have beautifully carved and painted frames around the doors and windows (reminiscent of houses in the Alpine regions of Europe).

Colours tend to be brighter and more dramatic than those put on Ontario homes.

Some of the verandahs are quite decorative.

44d. Quebec House (St. Nicholas, Que.)

44e. Quebec House (Beauport, Que.)*

*There are 677 historical houses registered just in Beauport. It's a 'gold mine' for anyone interested in architecture.

44f. Quebec House (Uptown in Quebec City)**

** 44f. This Quebec House building was constructed in 1675 and is now a restaurant called the Ancienne Canadien. I am not exaggerating when I say that you can find cannonballs caught in the roots of trees nearby, fired in the battle between Montcalm and Wolfe!!

Where to find it

There are countless Quebec Houses in the province of Quebec. You can also find them in New Brunswick and Ontario where these provinces border Quebec.