Description of Historic Place

Building 43, also known as the Public Works Officer’s Residence, is situated on a steep cliff overlooking the St. Lawrence in the Grosse Île and Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada. The long, low building has a mansard roof pierced by a dormer window. A covered verandah with decorative gingerbread protects the principal entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 43 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Building 43 is associated with Canadian immigration and quarantine. In the early 20th century, Canada’s economic boom sparked an unprecedented wave of immigration. The historical value of Building 43 resides in its affiliation with the group of buildings erected in the early decades of the 20th century to accommodate the growing number of patients held on the island, and the fact that the house served as both residence and workplace for a government officer at the site.

Architectural Value
Valued for its very good aesthetic design, the Building 43 resembles a small seaside villa from the early 20th century. The Mansard, or “French”, roof is a stylistic attribute that reflects a popular roof trend in North America at that time. Very good functional design is evidenced in the dual-purpose layout of home and workplace. Very good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the quality of detailing and the interior finishes, including the interior staircase that matches the outside staircase and the meticulously crafted cove ceiling.

Environmental Value
Building 43 maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and reinforces the present historic character of its Grosse Île setting.

Sources: The Public Works Officer’s Residence (no.38), Grosse Île (Part 4 1901-1920), Quebec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 90-031; The Public Works Officer’s Residence (No.38), Grosse Île, Quebec, Heritage Character Statement 90-031.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Building 43 should be respected.

Its very good aesthetics, functional design and very good craftsmanship, for example:
- the unusual massing, which consists of three adjoining volumes of differing shapes and roof profiles, including a mansard roofed one-storey residence, a gable roofed shed, and a covered passageway that connects the two.
- the timber construction;
- the access system related to the sloping site, particularly the secondary entrance at mid-level;
- the quality of the detailing at the main entrance, the steps and the covered verandah with turned posts, the gingerbread along the eave and down the steps, and the double-leaf entry doors;
- the regular placement of the doors and four pane windows and the exterior walls covered in clapboard;
- the elements illustrating the finishing styles and techniques specific to residential architecture in the early 20th century, including the interior staircase that matches the exterior staircase and the cove ceilings in the living room and dining room;
- evidence that this house was occupied by the Public Works Officer, such as the etched glass in the double entry door bearing the monogram of the Department of Public Works.

The manner in which the Building 43 maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and reinforces the historic character of Grosse Île, as evidenced by:
- its ongoing relationship to its site on a sharp cliff overlooking the river;
- its scale, design and materials, which complement the related adjacent structures, including the Anglican Chapel.