Description of Historic Place

The Brideau House, a two-storey vernacular residence with clapboard siding, is located on Principale Street in the village of Saint-Louis-de-Kent.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Brideau House as a local historic place resides in the importance of one of its former occupants, Cyriaque Daigle. Mr. Daigle was considered the first village historian for having written "Histoire de Saint-Louis-de-Kent" in 1948, while he was living with his nephew, Cyriac Brideau, the owner of the house at that time. Mr. Daigle was an agrologist and an expert in the dairy industry. In 1914, he founded the egg farmers’ co-op, the first of its kind in New Brunswick. Mr. Daigle was also known for his military career. He was colonel of the Acadian Battalion during World War I.

The Brideau House is also recognized for its architecture, which is representative of a type of framework dating back to the early 20th century, and its imposing location in the heart of the village. The two-storey house, which was built in 1904-1905 by Augustin Brideau, is a good example of the vernacular model inspired by American Four Square design and popularized in villages throughout New Brunswick. As is common practice with this type of structure, the cubic form of the original massing was extended by adding a second space with almost identical proportions to meet growing needs.

Source: Saint-Louis-de-Kent Municipal Building, File Number 01 04.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the Brideau House include:
- roadside location in the heart of the village;
- cubic two-storey massing ;
- hipped roof;
- clapboard siding;
- large dormer with double windows;
- front veranda;
- later addition following the original design.

The character-defining elements related to the interior of the Brideau House include:
- interior floors and original partitions;
- interior stairway.