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The team of archeologists leading the dig said they expected to find some artifacts, but didn’t expect to locate such a rich site.
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Published Jun 23, 2023 • 3 minute read
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Sometime between 1801 and 1825, a stone house built on a well-constructed foundation stood in what is now the parking lot of Hydro-Québec’s head office in downtown Montreal.
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Recently unearthed by Hydro-Québec archeologists, this archeological treasure trove tells the story of wealthy residents living on the banks of what was known as the Côte à Baron stream, facing Clark St. in the heart of the Faubourg St-Laurent neighbourhood.
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At the time, the neighbourhood was emerging from what was then an agricultural area.
“It was a working-class town that developed outside the fortification walls around the middle of the 18th century,” explained archeologist Martin Perron, “where artisans, people of lesser means and farmers came to settle in response to the ever-increasing densification inside the fortification walls.”
The discovery was to be expected, Perron said, since other remains had been found during the construction of nearby buildings. But no one expected to find such a rich site.
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“We were lucky. The archeological remains aren’t that deep under the pavement,” Perron said, adding that the building is “exceptionally well preserved.”
Perron said the crew found a water well inside — which is unusual to find in such good condition — in addition to the foundation, construction layers and several building materials.
Most of the artifacts located date back to the 19th century, Perron said, but “we did find a few shards, in salt stoneware and earthenware, which certainly date back to the second half of the 18th century.”
To the team of archeologists, the older artifacts present a mystery.
“Are these scattered shards that were left there when people passed through near the creek? Maybe farmers? On earlier plans, there’s no trace of any building or activity other than farming. There was no known construction,” Perron said.
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“These artifacts are orphaned for the moment,” he added, “but it’s very interesting and we want to continue the research to try and find other levels perhaps associated with this occupation in the second half of the 18th century.”
As for the objects directly associated with the house, Perron said the crew found a little bit of everything: tableware, pitchers, plates, and bowls, some of which are still richly decorated.
“We also have bottles of soft drinks, beer, wine, inkwells, objects for everyday hygiene, lots of bones associated with people’s diets, many with traces of butchery: pork, mutton, beef,” he added.
Some of the findings also point to another mystery. While the Faubourg St-Laurent neighbourhood was originally a working-class district, the quality of the objects found indicates a wealthy owner or tenant.
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Lastly, it would also appear the building was razed to the ground at the end of the 19th century, when the area was booming.
“Had there been a fire? Were the buildings now dilapidated?” Perron asked.
Whatever happened, the lot didn’t remain unoccupied for long. As early as 1890, a sawmill and lumber yard were set up. They remained in operation until the construction of Hydro-Québec’s head office in the late 1950s.
The archeological dig comes as Hydro-Québec is in the process of redeveloping the parking lot as a public space.
“We want to make it an educational, didactic and restful place that will come to harmonize with the spirit of the Quartier des spectacles,” Perron explained. “A place where people can come and rest, with interpretation panels, murals.”
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