Government House (Quebec)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quebec's Government House, known as Spencerwood, was the Vice regal residence of Quebec. It was built in 1854. Located at the Bois-de-Coulonge park, it was purchased by the Quebec Government in 1870 and served as the residence of Quebec Lieutenant-Governors until 1966 when a major fire destroyed the main residence.
The history of this park goes back at the very start of the French regime in 1633. It is Louis D’Ailleboust, Esquire, of Coulonge and third Governor of New France who occupied it. This estate and several other properties of the Governor became one large estate (much larger than today’s park) in 1657 and was named Châtellenie. It is after his death that the estate was sold to the sisters of the Augustine order the Hôtel-Dieu and in 1676 it is the Quebec Seminary who took possession. After the English conquest, the seminary, not having enough funds, sold one of the lots in 1780 to the English officer, Henry Watson Powell who named this area Powell Place. To create comfortable living quarters, he had a villa, greenhouses and trails built. The park would again change name around 1811 when Michael Henry Perceval became owner and called it Spencerwood. However, the beauty that we admire today is owed in part to Henry Atkinson, who bought this land in 1833. With his gardener, he created an English style garden with elms, oaks and trails that we can still enjoy today. Without an owner in 1854, the estate was divided into several sections and the most imposing lot was bought by the government of the Canada-Plain to house the Governor General. Six years later, a fire completely destroyed the Governor-General’s residence. The house was rebuilt in 1862 with a castle like length of 56 meters, a servant’s wing and a winter garden. In 1870, Spencer Wood was sold to the province of Quebec and was then home to the Lieutenant-Governor. A few modifications were made throughout the years, namely the fountain that we see today. The Spencer Wood estate was renamed Bois de Coulonge in 1950. In total, 21 Lieutenant-Governors succeeded each other at this estate and the last one, Paul Comtois, died in the fire which destroyed the estate in 1966. It was in 1986, after the estate was abandoned, that restoration was undertaken. Finally, the National Capital Commission of Québec became its owner in 1996.
