The Faubourg

Just like a big city with its working-class suburbs, Grondines saw the birth of its own suburb near the Rivière du Moulin. While few traces remain of the craftsmen’s workshops and the effervescence that reigned in that part of the village, some houses still bear witness to the talent of their builders.

Le moulin à farine (1986) (The Flour Mill), Thérèse Sauvageau.

The history of the faubourg begins with its mill[1]. Although the exact year of construction remains unknown, we know that a water mill was standing by the river in 1785. On October 17 of that year, Jean Renaud, Esq. and surveyor general of the district of Quebec[2], ordered Captain Joseph Hamelin[3], “to have the mill river cleared, below the bridge, as soon as the waters have subsided.”[4] Nearly 10 years later, in 1796, lord Mathew MacNider signed a contract with master flour-maker Nicolas Marchant to complete the mill causeway[5]. Gradually, residents settled nearby, and by the following century, the faubourg was booming.

A Faubourg of Artisans

By the middle of the following century, the faubourg had become a second village west of the original one. Over time, a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a carpenter and even a baker moved to the area.

The proximity of the houses in the faubourg is a reminder that this part of the village was inhabited by tradespeople and artisans. The double doors on the facade of the building at 783 chemin du Faubourg are a hint that a general store was once housed there. Across the street, at 800, Joseph Sauvageau, wheelwright, built horse-drawn carriages in the building behind his house. His neighbours are Olivier Sauvageau and his son Narcisse, who operated a sawmill. Narcisse lives in a house built by his father, the building at 795. The sawmill was taken over by David Mayrand at the end of the 19th century. He moved it across the street and added a wood store. His son Émilien took over the business soon after.