Description of Historic Place

The Barachois Inn is a large, elegant Second Empire building with Georgian influences located in the Acadian community of Rustico, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The Barachois Inn is valued as a fine example of its architectural style and design, for its integrity of architectural elements, and for its importance to the history of the community and its association with the province's tourism industry.

This grand home, with its well-tended gardens, was built in 1880 by local carpenter Sylvestre Blanchard and his son Jérémie (Jeremiah) Blanchard (1859-1939) for Joseph Gallant (1839-1923). Gallant was known as "Joe Bronne" or "Dandy Joe" to distinguish him from other Joseph Gallants in the area. Gallant was a prosperous merchant, farmer, postmaster, storekeeper and coastal trader. This home housed a general store on the main floor with living quarters upstairs. A telephone office was established in 1888, very likely operated from this property. Gallant also owned a store in Rusticoville with a wharf he had built in 1894, and purchased a store in Oyster Bed in 1895. Joseph Gallant was the second president of the Farmers' Bank of Rustico serving from 1878 to until it dissolved in 1894. When Gallant died in 1923, his home was sold to settle debts. After a number of owners, the home was purchased in 1982 by the current owners who began sympathetic renovations and have, since 1984, operated the property as the five-star award-winning Barachois Inn. The wraparound verandah was reconstructed in 1991 at which time the ell section was extended and a mansard roof was added to match the main section of the house. In 2001, the two-storey MacDonald House was constructed on the property in the same architectural style as the Barachois Inn and features four luxury guest suites. In close proximity to the Barachois Inn are other properties of historical importance: St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, its presbytery and convent, the Farmers' Bank of Rustico Museum and the Doucet House.

An important landmark in its community, the Barachois Inn is significant to the community's history and for its associations with the Acadian community and the province's tourism industry.

Source: Heritage Places files, PEI Department of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture, Charlottetown, PE File #: 4320-20/B3

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the residence is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the 3 storey massing, with an ell summer kitchen wing
- the wood frame construction with wood clapboard exterior cladding
- the bellcast mansard roof with and hip roof addition
- the gabled dormers
- the symmetrical placement of the windows
- the multi-paned windows; six-over-six and two-over-two
- the large second-floor centred window with six-over-six panes with two-over-two side lights
- the decorative eave brackets
- the corner pilasters
- the centred door with a fanlight and sidelights
- the placement of the chimneys
- the wraparound verandah and decorative pilasters