Description of Historic Place

Building 84, also known as the Nurses’ Residence, is one of three buildings on the outskirts of the village on Grosse Île, in the Grosse Île and Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada. The one-and-a-half storey building is a duplex design with a gable roof and an imposing gable dormer. A wide, covered verandah runs along the front elevation and protects the main, two-door entrance that is highlighted by a small pediment. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 84 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Building 84 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 84 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.

Architectural Value
Valued for its good aesthetic design, Building 84 is executed in the “bungalow” or “English cottage” style. This building style was typical in resort areas like Charlevoix and the Eastern Townships but was otherwise quite rare throughout Quebec. Building 84 is unique in that it houses under a single roof, two dwellings with reverse plans. Good functional design is as such evidenced in the duplex configuration. Very good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the quality of construction and in the combination of shingles and clapboard used to create the corbelling effect of half-timbered English cottages.

Environmental Value
Building 84 is compatible with the present historic character of its Grosse Île setting, and is a local landmark.

Sources: The Nurses’ Residence (no.84), Grosse Île (Part 4 1901-1920), Quebec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 90-031; The Nurses’ Residence (No.84), Grosse Île, Quebec, Heritage Character Statement 90-031.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Building 84 should be respected.

Its good aesthetics, functional design and very good craftsmanship, for example:
- the one-and-a-half-storey massing with a gable roof;
- the timber construction;
- the symmetrical treatment of the building, the wide covered verandah that protects the main entrance, the two sets of doors (front and back) highlighted by a small pediment, and the placement of the panel doors and multi-pane windows;
- the interior configuration that contains two similar dwellings with reverse plans;
- the decoration and finishing elements that illustrate the style and techniques of residential architecture in the early 20th century, and their relative plainness, which reflects the social standing of the former occupants;
- the use clapboard for the ground floor and shingles for the second floor, and the colour finish.

The manner in which Building 84 is compatible with the historic character of Grosse Île, and is a landmark on the St. Lawrence River, as evidenced by:
- its scale, design and materials, which complement the related adjacent structures, including the Laboratory 81, and Residences 77 and 79;
- its visibility and familiarity as part of a small complex of three buildings on the outskirts of the village.