Description of Historic Place

Dr. Bourgeois House is a Colonial-inspired Foursquare residence located on Principale Street in Tracadie-Sheila. This large two-storey house clad in white clapboard is surrounded by mature trees.

Heritage Value

Dr. Bourgeois House is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its association with its first owner.

Dr. Bourgeois House, built in 1938, is noteworthy for its imposing size and its location set slightly back from the street. Although it is of the common Foursquare design, renowned New Brunswick architect René Arthur Fréchet created a unique residence by employing Colonial-inspired details to the main façade.

Dr. Bourgeois House is also recognized for its association with the first owner of the residence, Dr. Ulysse Bourgeois. Dr. Bourgeois was an important figure in the community. Born in Cap-Pelé in 1898, he completed medical school in Laval in 1926. Called the “poor person’s doctor,” he practised medicine at the hospital and at his home-based office and made house calls from 1930 until his death in 1970. He also devoted time to three passions: history, genealogy, and writing.

Source: Town of Tracadie-Sheila, Historic Places File #20

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the landscape of the Dr. Bourgeois House include:
- U-shaped driveway;
- grounds with mature trees.

The character-defining elements that describe the Foursquare architecture of the Dr. Bourgeois House include:
- square 2-storey massing of the main portion of the building;
- pyramidal roof;
- brick foundation;
- central dormer topped by a hipped roof with its three small windows.

The character-defining elements that describe the Colonial-style façade of Dr. Bourgeois House include:
- regular fenestration;
- corner boards;
- semi-circular steps leading to the main entrance;
- two glazed doors with semielliptical fanlight on the balcony;
- decorative semicircles above the first-floor windows on three sides;
- central main entrance surmounted by a curved balcony supported by columns.