Description of Historic Place

Alexis Cyr House is a rural vernacular building from around 1825. This “pièce sur pièce” building is located on a new site on De la Chapelle Street in Saint-Basile, an integral part of the City of Edmundston.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Alexis Cyr House as a local historic place lies in the importance of its method of construction. This residence is a rare existing example of “pièce sur pièce” construction found in New Brunswick. It is a good representation of the type of vernacular construction used by the first settlers to the region.

Heritage value is also associated with this building because of its age. Dating back to the early 19th century, it is considered the oldest known home in Madawaska County. It was also the residence of many descendants of the Cyr family, known as one of the pioneering families of Madawaska.

The heritage value of the structure also resides in its current use. Owned by the Société Historique du Madawaska, the Alexis Cyr House was moved to its current location where it is part of a historic site known as the Cradle of Madawaska. It now serves as a museum, exhibiting collections asociated with the region's history.

Source: Madawaska Historical Society - Site file: "Maison Alexis Cyr"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Alexis Cyr House relating to its location include:
- location on the road leading to a little chapel, behind the Saint-Basile cemetery, within the site known as the Cradle of Madawaska.

The character-defining elements of the Alexis Cyr House relating to its rural vernacular architecture include:
- rectangular one-storey massing;
- "pièce sur pièce" construction and grooved post joints;
- gable roof clad in wood shingles;
- clapboard siding;
- placement of the door and window openings;
- multi-paned windows;
- squared beams;
- stone fireplace and wood lintel;
- plank flooring.

The character-defining elements of the Alexis Cyr House relating to its current museum function include:
- collection of artefacts relating to the region's history.