The owner’s tour | A large maskoutain queen

Owners open the doors of their exceptional residence to us, offered on the resale market.

Valerie Simard
The Press

If some fear the acquisition of a house dating from another era, this is certainly not the case for the owners of this 19th century house.^and century that sits like a queen on the banks of the Yamaska ​​River, in Saint-Hyacinthe. History lovers, they transposed theirs inside this house where the stories fit together and respond to each other.

“Most of our objects are linked to stories that were part of another story,” notes the owner, Johanne Biron. For me, it was really important that there be a meaning to everything, even to objects. »

Here, imposing family furniture from the former Yamaska ​​Shirt clothing factory in Saint-Hyacinthe has naturally found its place in the vast rooms of the house. There, a religious statue that once stood in a church in the city. And there, hung on the wall, a little angel from the cathedral indicates access to the attic.

Originally from Saint-Hyacinthe, Johanne Biron returned to settle in her hometown, with her husband, Normand, in 2020, during the pandemic. “We didn’t know what we were looking for, but every time we were in front of a heritage house, we said to ourselves: ‘This is what we want.’ »

The emblematic rue Girouard

In Montreal, the couple lived in a property built in 1920, on the current Mount Royal Heritage Site.

Their quest led them a few steps from the city center, in the emblematic rue Girouard, known for its very well preserved houses dating from the Victorian era. With its round tower topped with a bulbous roof, its wooden clapboard of various patterns, including fish scales, its large gallery and its window frames painted yellow and blue, the Émile Marin house is certainly one of the more original. And wait until you see the attic, a place of dreams and possibilities!

“The day we submitted the purchase offer, I learned that, on the ground, the first community of contemplative sisters in Canada had been founded. [les Sœurs du Précieux-Sang, toujours présentes à Saint-Hyacinthe] “says Johanne Biron. The Caouette house, which previously stood on this land and in which the religious community was born, was moved before the construction of the current residence. She is now his rear neighbor.

Professor of literature and researcher, Johanne Biron was interested in the correspondence that Catherine-Aurélie du Précieux-Sang, founder of the community, had with the writer Laure Conan. “When I knew that I was on the soil of the founding mother’s community, the meaning was total. It added to the importance of that house, most of whose owners were women. »

Indeed, on the document sent to him by the former owners, the title deeds are often in the name of women. The exact date of construction of this Queen Anne style house is not known, but according to the owners, it is estimated at 1880. It is not classified as a heritage property, but its heritage interest is recognized by the municipality, which subjects the owners to certain preservation rules.

The residence changed hands a few times until 1915, when Henriette Sicotte, wife of Judge Émile Marin, bought it. Her husband will inherit it on his death and his name will remain associated with the house.

Several renovation works

When the current owners acquired the property, the interior was very different from today. But it was the majestic oak staircase topped with engraved metal lanterns that first caught their attention, like that of any visitor entering the house. Covered with carpets, like most of the floors in the house, the staircase has been restored. The floors were also subjected to the care of a craftsman. The faded tapestry has been removed, the bathroom renovated and the kitchen slightly refurbished, while retaining the dimensions and constraints of the period.

Added to this was the overhaul of the electricity, plumbing and part of the “identical” Canadian tile roof. But buying an older home did not scare them.

Why sell after just over a year, after putting so much effort into it? “To enter another phase of life,” replies his spouse. Early retirement and new projects will take them outside the region. Probably in another old house or by a lake.

But they are in no rush to leave. “It’s great here,” she said. The birds, the river, the sun which lands on the river in different ways depending on the season. “There is also the neighborhood, the shopping that is done on foot. And the fresh vegetables that are never far away. “We often go to the farmer, to the land. I like corn from India that was picked in the morning. » A small happiness of the Maskoutain daily life.