Description of Historic Place

The house of La Petite Ferme is a simple, sober, one-and-a-half storey stone building. This low-massed structure comprises a long main wing of imposing dimensions, with a later and smaller perpendicular wing at the back. Regularly spaced window and door openings pierce the parged masonry walls. The steep gabled roof features dormers, massive chimneystacks and a flared overhang that protects the front verandah. The house, which faces the St-Lawrence River, is located amongst four other farm buildings set on a flat plain that lies within the Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The house of La Petite Ferme is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value
The ensemble of La Petite Ferme, established on a site occupied by aboriginals for over 2000 years, is associated with several national themes. The house is the oldest surviving building of the complex, the most important farm operated by the Québec Seminary in the area for over three centuries, under the seigneurial system. As such, it contributes to illustrating the evolution of farming methods as well as the progress of agriculture in Québec over the last centuries. It also testifies to the development of the area from a function of farming to one of wildlife preservation. In addition, the building is associated with a person of regional importance, Joseph-Michel Cadet, an important businessman and civil servant during the French Regime, who rented and operated La Petite Ferme on behalf of the Seminary, during the last years of the French Regime.

Architectural value
The house of La Petite Ferme is a very good example of domestic architecture of the French Regime, to which neoclassical-derived elements were added during the 19th century, making it a prime model of the typical Québec farmhouse. The building’s simple and good functional design has allowed its continuous use for more than 250 years as a residence for farmers, in addition to housing various activities in its larger spaces, and on occasion, lodging vacationing Seminary students. Its use of solid traditional construction methods, including heavy local sandstone walls and a cedar wood roof framing, exemplify the very good quality of its craftsmanship and materials.

Environmental value
The house of La Petite Ferme establishes the agricultural character of its setting and recalls the historic vocation of the complex through its imposing dimensions, the profile of its roof and chimneys, and its prominent position along the road. A prime destination for the many visitors to the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area and a meeting place for researchers specialized in the preservation of fauna and flora, the building also constitutes a familiar landmark within the region.

Sources: Christine Chartré, Bâtiments de la Petite ferme à Cap-Tourmente, Québec. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 91-039; House on the Little Farm, Cap-Tourmente, Québec. Heritage Character Statement 91-039a.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the house of La Petite Ferme should be respected.

The building’s aesthetic and functional design, typical of both the French Regime’s domestic architecture and of the later classically-inspired Québec farmhouse, and its very good quality materials and craftsmanship, as manifested in:
- the building’s basic massing and construction technology, representative of the early architecture of New France, including the long storey-and-a-half volume, built close to the ground, the thick walls of rubble “Côte de Beaupré” sandstone covered in parging on all but one of its elevations that are pierced with regularly spaced, almost symmetrical openings, the steep gable roof, covered with wood shingles, framed with a mortise-and-tenon jointed cedar frame, and dominated by massive chimneystacks;
- the elements added during the 19th century, such as the rear wing, designed to conform to the overall lines of the front wing, and the classically-inspired curved overhang of the roof, verandah with its ornate posts, dormers and doors, all of which contribute to making the building a model of the typical Québec farmhouse;
- the layout if the ground floor of the main wing, reminiscent of that of the 18th century, including the enfilade of four large rooms, the partition on the north side of the central room, and the location of the doorways and stairs;
- structural and ornamental period detail, such as the fireplaces, coffered ceilings, lath walls, woodwork, etc., which contribute to the simplicity of the interior;
- evidence of the building’s history and evolution, including traces of the 1759 fire in the east section of the building, and the two foundations, which may testify to the phased construction of the main wing.

The manner in which the building establishes the agricultural character of its setting and serves as a significant local landmark, as demonstrated in:
- the house’s silhouette, its materials which contrast with those of neighboring structures, and its prominent position next to the road, all of which make it the dominant feature of La Petite Ferme complex;
- the building’s relationship to the four other remaining structures of the complex, located behind the house, along a north-west axis, and the overall profile of La Petite Ferme in contrast to the flat landscape of the plains;
- the building’s inclusion within the boundaries of the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area and its use as a symbol for marketing of the site, a recognition of the complex’s long historic relationship to the area, which contributes to its visibility to visitors and researchers alike.