Considered one of the most beautiful secular gems of Stanstead, the Lee Farm estate has marked the history of this border village and that of Canada. Michelle Richard and Rémi Dumont have devoted 18 years of their lives to restore it to its full glory.
Construction on the estate began in 1810 under the aegis of Jedediah Lee, an immigrant loyalist from Connecticut. Several prominent personalities have followed one another in this colonial and Georgian mansion of the Lee-Ball family, including Lady Henrietta Banting (née Ball), wife of the co-inventor of insulin, Sir Frederick Banting. Her multiple commitments have earned this woman doctor the greatest respect within her community, and beyond its borders. By buying the estate from her uncle in 1951, she undertook major renovations that infused charm and distinction into the place.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
An elegant sign marks the entrance to the Lee Farm estate, located between two parks a few dozen meters from two of the Stanstead borders.
The villa has remained in the same family for 165 years. When Michelle Richard and Rémi Dumont bought it in June 2003, they decided to cherish it to patiently restore it to its former glory, while improving its comfort. “I was in the Royal Canadian Navy and my wife was in military health. We had more than 20 years of career and we were starting to think about what we could do for retirement. We had the idea of having a bed and breakfast, because we are used to meeting a lot of people, talking about different subjects, and my wife is a very good cook! », Relates Rémi Dumont.
The couple then traveled across Quebec to find a place and fell in love with the Lee Farm estate. “We thought it was the perfect place to raise our four children, because the house was so big that the clients wouldn’t even notice that we had a big family. They could have their privacy and we could have ours. We had our own living room, our own kitchen, our bathroom and three bedrooms. It really was the perfect house… but it needed a lot of love, ”he continues.
Restore the residence, one room at a time
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The Jedediah lounge is the oldest part of the residence. “It is from this room that construction began in 1810. It is one of the three oldest houses in the city,” says Michelle Richard, co-owner.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
This staircase leads to the guest rooms. The private spaces are accessed by other steps.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The kitchen has been completely redone recently. Only the professional cooker has been preserved.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
A reading corner begins after the alcove. There are plenty of such quiet places inside and outside the house.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
Each room takes the name of one of the ancestors. Here, Lady Banting.
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When they buy this estate, Michelle Richard retires, but her husband continues to work in the military for 10 years. “It was important that I fell in love, because I needed something that would satisfy me by staying at home after 27 years in the medical profession in the army. There was a lot to do, so I never had time to miss my old career and I was also able to better enjoy our youngest of three and a half years, ”she says.
The couple discovers after the acquisition of the residence that it is not isolated for the winter. He therefore undertook major renovations to clean it up and maximize its comfort, then replaced old, unsafe open fireplaces with slow-burning wood stoves. “We looked for the most antique style models possible,” recalls the soldier.
Room after room, the house shows several years of neglect, but nothing is left to chance so that it retains its cachet of yesteryear. The carpet glued to the floor is removed, revealing a parquet that the owners are restoring. Moldings, beams are added and Michelle chooses charming wallpapers to dress the walls. “We immersed ourselves in each room and put all our hearts into decorating them,” she says. Bathrooms have been added in all five guest bedrooms. The house had already been transformed into a guesthouse when they took possession of it, but it was more modest (three Suns) and the work of Michelle and Rémi allowed them to be awarded five Suns.
In addition to the interior renovations, the owners stripped the entire facade of the villa for seven summers. “There were 200 years of painting and we saw several colors over the stripping of the wood, which we did by hand so that the result was beautiful and durable,” explains Michelle Richard.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The owners have hand stripped the entire facade of the villa.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The old main entrance has become the secondary entrance. Two wooden statues representing the current owners have been installed in place of an old diseased tree.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The floor of the dining room is covered with granite, of which Stanstead is the Canadian capital.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The Eleanor room includes a small living room, a gas fireplace and a balcony.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
Romantic wallpaper provides a refreshing charm to the living room.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
The Tomifobia River runs behind the grounds of the Lee Farm Estate, which boasts a beautiful garden and in-ground pool.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SACHA DE SANTIS TEAM, RE / MAX FIRST
Rémi Dumont offered horse-drawn carriage rides, especially for special occasions such as weddings. There is an acquired right to accommodate two horses in this stable.
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The property also enjoys a green setting inspired by English gardens. Sculptures commissioned over the years by the masters of the place enliven this green space. The first were erected following a haphazard conversation, as the couple wondered about the fragility of the branches of a diseased tree that could fall on customers. Maurice Harvey, a sculptor from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli who was staying with them during a granite symposium, offered to recover the wood to make works of art. “I had the lady made for Michelle’s party and later, it was she who surprised me to give me the man’s,” says Rémi Dumont. These sculptures thus mark the couple’s imprint on the property.
Invitation to travel
The four children of the household have grown up well, some live in Western Canada, without considering the fact that Michelle and Rémi have just become grandparents. “We decided to put it up for sale because we would like to travel, to be able to go further and for longer. We are there in our life. It’s going to be a huge mourning for us to leave this house, because our hearts are everywhere. We would like the historical mission to continue here, because this property means a lot to the people of the region. We would just like to find people who will have the same crush as us, ”hopes Michelle Richard.
Consult the property sheet
The property in brief
Asking price: $ 1,150,000
Municipal assessment: $ 376,200
Year of construction: 1810
Land area: 217,800 sq. Ft.2
House size: approximately 120 ft x 39 ft (irregular)
Property tax: $ 4,554
School Tax: $ 381
Real estate broker: Sacha De Santis, RE / MAX d’Abord real estate broker