Description of Historic Place

Building 34, also known as the Guard’s Residence, is situated on the isthmus connecting the hotel sector with the village, in the Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada. This small, almost square, one-and-a-half storey building, with a pitched roof, features a large verandah that encircles the building. Regularly placed doors and windows pierce the clapboard clad exterior walls. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 34 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Building 34 is associated with Canadian immigration and quarantine. Situated on the St Lawrence River 50 km from the Port of Québec, which it served, Grosse Île functioned as the most important quarantine station for immigrants arriving in Canada between 1832 and 1937. Immigrants were disembarked and passed health examinations at the station. In 1857, with the end of British control, the Canadian government became responsible for the Grosse Île quarantine station. Following the closure of the quarantine station, it housed Grosse Île employees, and is still used for this purpose today.

Architectural Value
Building 34 is valued for its good aesthetic design similar in style to a vacation cottage. The modest exterior encloses a functional design. Good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the interior layout that includes the fireplaces.

Environmental Value
Building 34 reinforces the present historic character of its Grosse Île setting. The structure is a well-known local landmark to the local community and to visitors.

Sources: The Guard’s Residence, building no. 34, Grosse Île (Part 3 1881-1910), Quebec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 90-031; The Guard’s Residence, building no. 34, Grosse Île, Quebec, Heritage Character Statement 90-031.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Building 34 should be respected.

Its good aesthetics, functional design and good craftsmanship, for example:
- the two-storey massing with a gable roof and dormers;
- the timber frame construction;
- the placement of the doors and windows;
- the clapboard clad exterior and the chimneystack;
- the porch centred in the middle of the façade;
- the large, wrap-around verandah, the wooden brackets and the turned wooden balusters of the verandah;
- the sober interior configuration and finishes including the fluted door casings, the smooth walls, and the fireplace, with its dark wood mantel, with classical motifs.

The manner in which the Building 34 establishes the historic character of Grosse Île, and is a landmark on the St. Lawrence River, as evidenced by:
- its scale, its design and materials, which complement related adjacent structures;
- its high visibility and familiarity within the local area due to its location on the isthmus connecting the hotel sector with the village sector on Grosse Île.