1.4 The Site's Other Heritage Values (Level 2)

There are other resources and heritage values that, while not recognized as being of national historic or architectural significance, do have important meaning for the site; these are said to be “level 2” resources. Only resources that are partially or completely located within the property granted by lease to Parks Canada are included on this list.

RECENT HISTORY OF THE SITE: THE SEIGNORY CLUB ERA

The former seigneurial estate, with the exception of the funeral chapel and the wrought-iron fence surrounding it, was auctioned off in September 1929 and subsequently resold to Lucerne-in-Québec Community Association Limited. The manor house and outbuildings were converted into a private holiday resort by Seigniory Club Community Association Limited in 1933. Canadian Pacific acquired the resort in 1949.

In 1929-1930 the Seigniory Club made a number of significant changes to the Monte-Bello estate: they constructed a roundwood hotel (the “Log Château”) and service buildings, and laid out a garden city in the formerly uninhabited part of the estate. The hotel was built at a time when Canadian vacation resorts were being developed, and the presence of the hotel contributed to a boom in the region's tourist trade.

The most significant elements that attest to the presence of the Seigniory Club – the Château Montebello and its main outbuildings – are situated outside the boundaries of the national historic site. On the actual site, only the landscaping elements created by the Seigniory Club are rated “level 2”, mainly because of their physical value and historical association. In fact, the Seigniory Club kept most of the landscaping as it was when it acquired the estate from the Papineau family, as can be seen in the numerous archaeological remains; it did however, take away some of the cachet of the estate's landscape by converting the vegetable garden to lawn and by eliminating many of the flower beds.

The tea pavillion at the time of the Seigniory Club © Parks Canada / Fonds Jacqueline Papineau-Desbaillets (Ga-120.6) Reproduction: Parks Canada, Neg.: 206/ic-1G/PR-6/S-74, n° 4

The Seigniory Club made some visible changes on the cape in that they laid down paving stones on some of the existing trails and created others. On the escarpments, mainly those to the south, the Seigniory Club built retaining walls for new terraces and trails or simply stabilized existing ones. At the foot of the cape and in the park, footpaths and bridlepaths were created. In the area immediately adjoining the historic site, the era of the Seigniory Club can be seen in the gates and guardhouses at both the entrance to Manor House Road and at the west end of Cape Road.

The Papineau estate after it was acquired by the Seigniory Club An aerial photo showing Manoir Papineau to the east and the Seigniory Club's hotel facilities to the west. The latter were built on the former Anse aux Vaches Meadow. The addition of tennis courts led to the demolition of the barn built near the wooded area. Date unknown. © Parks Canada / Harold Lawson. The Log Chateau, Lucerne-in-Québec. The Journal. Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Series n° 65, Toronto, January 1931, vol. VIII, n° 1, p. 13. Reproduction: Parks Canada, neg.: 206/ic/PR-6/S-108, n° 11

The Seigniory Club also modified the interior creating an atmosphere of luxury that seriously architecture of the manor house, transform-altered the sobriety of the décor preferred by ing the family residence into a recreational Papineau; on the upper floor most of the facility for its new owners, the club members. space occupied by guest bedrooms became The impact of the Seigniory Club era can be a ballroom; in the basement a billiard room seen in the interior layout and decorating of and a mock Elizabethan tavern replaced the the rooms. The rooms on the main floor were servants' quarters and part of the kitchen and adorned with friezes, moulding and domes, service rooms.

CUTURAL RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH PALEO-HISTORY

The presence of Amerindians on the site during the paleohistoric period has been confirmed at least two separate locations (83G1B and 83G1C). The presence of artefacts¹³ suggests that stone objects were made on the site.

These discoveries suggest that similar vestiges may be found in other parts of the national historic site.

TIES WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING AREA

Since 1935, the old Papineau family museum has been used as an Anglican church. The Christ Church chapel, along with St. Mathew's and the Holy Trinity church, serve the Anglican parish of Grenville-Calumet-Montebello.

The Manoir Papineau National Historic Site of Canada has other partnership ties with numerous individuals and organizations, some of whom have played an appreciable role in promoting, protecting and presenting the site.

Parks Canada's main partner is Fairmont – Le Château Montebello. The two organizations share in activities designed to protect the site's resources. Heritage Canada, owner of the funeral chapel, has left the management of the chapel to the Société historique Louis-Joseph-Papineau. The Municipality of Montebello, through the Corporation de la Gare de Montebello, plays a role in the promotion and marketing of the site. The Outaouais Regional Tourist Association also collaborates in promoting and marketing the site. Lastly, descendants of the Papineau family (Renée and Jacqueline Papineau, and Anne Bourassa) have proven to be valuable collaborators by sharing their knowledge of the Papineau family. The support provided by each of these individuals and organizations has contributed to the community's sense of ownership of the Manoir Papineau National Historic Site of Canada.

FURTHER COMMEMORATION

Since 1975 the Papineau manor house and the funeral chapel have been designated cultural assets under the Loi sur les biens culturels du Québec.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS

The Manoir Papineau National Historic Site of Canada is an integral part of the network of national historic sites and as such is a valuable commemorative component of that part of our heritage associated with great Canadian politicians.

The site is also part of a group of regional heritage resources that includes Château Montebello (network of heritage hotels), Montebello Station, the home of Henri Bourassa, Montebello Church and presbytery, Plaisance Park (Québec government), Plaisance Falls Historical Site and the Plaisance Heritage Interpretation Centre.

The Manoir Papineau National Historic Site is associated with other historic sites through the various themes represented at the site. Its “seigneurial regime theme” is common to such sites as Manoir-Mauvide-Genest on the Island of Orléans, the Île Perrot mill, Manoir-Dionne in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Manoir-Joly-De Lotbinière, Manoir-Rouville-Campbell in Mont-Saint-Hilaire and Manoir-Hazen in Iberville. The “politician theme” is also found at Papineau's Montréal residence on Bonsecours Street (Louis-Joseph Papineau National Historic Site of Canada) and the Maison nationale des Patriotes in Saint-Denis. The “landscaping theme” is repeated at the Cataraqui and Bois-de-Coulonge estates in Sillery and Dundurn Castle (national historic site) in Hamilton.

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13. These consist of a dozen tiny flakes of chert, quartz and quartzite, found here and there on Manor House Road between the manor and the funeral chapel.

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