A stately manor, or “the project of a lifetime”

In 1995, when she purchased the property located in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Ms. Dick-Deschênes had no idea that she had in her hands a stately manor that is brimming with history.

“I knew it was the house of the poet Hector Saint-Denys de Garneau, but no one told me that it was a seigneurial manor and that there were remains of a mill,” says Ms. Dick- Deschênes, by showing representatives of the Soleil.

The new owner quickly learned about the history of the place using the numerous papers contained in the manor.

Moreover, on the walls of a corridor of the property, period legal documents are proudly hung, some of which formalize the concession of the lordship to the Juchereau Duchesnay.

Over the years, she has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, in maintaining the heritage property. But above all, she devoted countless hours to highlighting the history of the place.

In 2000, with help from the municipality, the owner had the grain dryer restored. A few months later, while a mason was carrying out various jobs on the property, they discovered together the existence of the ruins of an ordinary mill.

“The mason told me, “you know ma’am, there is a building buried here”. What did I say?! […] They cleared away the earth and sand, and the following year, they dismantled the ruins stone by stone and then restored everything.”

— Odette Dick-Deschênes, owner of the Juchereau Duchesnay manor

She also collaborated with historians from Laval University and the University of Sherbrooke to document the history of the building and the people linked to it.

In partnership with the municipality, the owner organized several open days, among other things to celebrate the legacy of Hector Saint-Denys de Garneau, and his cousin, the writer Anne Hébert, who also frequented the premises.

“The project of a lifetime”

For Ms. Dick-Deschênes, the Juchereau Duchesnay manor represents “the project of a lifetime”. After all her research, she wrote two manuscripts, one on the history of the manor and another on the Juchereau Duchesnay family. To her great dismay, however, she was unable to get them published.

Now in her nineties, she made the heartbreaking choice to put the property up for sale. When the author of these lines points out to her that this marketing seems to make her sad, she responds with emotion, but with a touch of humor: “Well, stop talking to me about it!”

For the sale to be concluded, the buyers must be heritage lovers who will showcase the property, as it has done all these years. People approached her about turning the mansion into a restaurant, which she flatly refused.

Above all, she wants the future owners to realize her dream, which is to make the place a museum or an art gallery, which tourists could come and visit in groups.

“In the fall, the property is so beautiful with the leaves changing color. People who are going to visit the First Nations in Wendake could stop here in passing, and visit a seigneurial manor,” suggests Ms. Dick-Deschênes.

In 2015, the owner received the Heritage Award from the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions for her conservation efforts.

From Juchereau Duchesnay to Garneau

The line of Juchereau Duchesnay lords dates back to Jean Juchereau de Maur (1592-1672), who was lord of Saint-Augustin. His descendant Antoine Juchereau Duchesnay owned five lordships when he died in 1806.

The latter’s grandson, Édouard-Louis-Antoine-Charles, inherited the seigneuries of Fossambault and Gaudarville in 1838. Ten years later, he built the Juchereau Duchesnay manor, a few years before the abolition of the seigneurial regime.

In the 20th century, the mother of the poet Hector Saint-Denys de Garneau, descendant of the historian François-Xavier Garneau, became the owner of the manor. The poet spent the rest of his life in the manor, where he died in 1943.

The poet’s cousin, the writer Anne Hébert, also stayed in the manor during her childhood. The grandfather of the latter, Eugène-Étienne Tâché, author of the motto “Je me remember” and architect of the Hôtel du Parlement du Québec, probably passed through there, even if it is impossible to confirm it without the shadow of a doubt.

“It is an exceptional building and site because it bears witness to the seigneurial regime and an important part of the literary history of Quebec. What gives it value is that it is an estate, it reminds us that the manor was part of a broader context, with the mill, the dryer, the forest, and that is enough exceptional,” says Alex Tremblay Lamarche, director of the Urban Heritage Society of Quebec.

“For a long time we were not able to see the full importance of this building, but the work of Ms. Dick-Deschênes contributed to the historic community and the community of Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques- Cartier see the heritage importance of the manor,” adds the historian.

2,8 millions

The property, which was cited as a heritage site in 2014, is spread over 23 hectares. It includes the manor, the remains of the ordinary mill and the grain dryer, but also a river and a maple grove with its sugar shack.

The property has been on sale for a little over two months for $2,795,000, via broker Alexandra Labrie of the Engel & Völkers Quebec real estate agency.

The 14 rooms, including four bedrooms, are in exceptional condition. The superb antique furniture that occupies the rooms is also included in the sale. When visiting the manor, the authenticity of the place takes us back more than 100 years, despite the presence of a few household appliances.

For this author, the master bedroom is the highlight, with the roof timbers exposed above the huge bed. Note that the manor also has a veranda which houses a spa, as well as an in-ground swimming pool outside.

Careful observers will have noticed that the mansion has not only two, but three floors. The top level includes an open concept bedroom with its adjoining bathroom.

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