George Stephen House (also known as the Mount Stephen Club building) is a historic mansion located in the Golden Square Mile in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
From 1883 to 1896, the house was the residence of George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen, and then, from 1896 to 1925, of his brother-in-law Robert Meighen and his successors . From 1927 to 2011, the building housed the Mount Stephen Club, a gentlemen's club that brought together Montreal's and international elite. In 2012, a luxury hotel project, called Le Mount Stephen, began to take shape, planned to occupy part of the residence. The project required the construction of a contemporary annexe at the rear, with 90 rooms, shops, and an indoor parking garage with 96 spaces. The hotel's opening, originally scheduled for June 2015, was postponed to May 1, 2017.
Built between 1881 and 1883, the residence was designed by architect William Tutin Thomas in a combination of architectural styles characteristic of Victorian architecture. It blends elements of the Italian Renaissance, Italian Baroque, and 17th-century English Baroque. The Italian Renaissance style, however, is the dominant style of the front façade. The interior, also designed by the same architect, was primarily decorated by the team of carpenter and joiner Archibald McIntyre, stained-glass artist John C. Spence, and the cabinet-making and interior design firm Jacques & Hay of Toronto. Cabinet-maker James Thomson also produced some bespoke furniture for the residence.
The building is subject to certain protection measures. On October 14, 1971, it was declared a National Historic Site of Canada by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It was also designated a heritage building by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications on March 11, 1975. On December 10, 2004, the building was designated a (building of exceptional heritage value) by the City of Montreal. The building was declared to be located within the (Mount Stephen Club building protection zone) on April 11, 1978, and within the (Guy-Drummond sector of exceptional heritage value) on December 10, 2004.
Site The George Stephen House is located at 1430-1440 Drummond Street in the Golden Square Mile of the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal. It is approximately 2.7 km from Old Montreal. The site is served by the Peel metro station on the green line.
History Before 1881 : land purchase and conception From 1858 to 1863, George Stephen and his wife, Annie Charlotte Kane, lived in a row house in Beaver Hall Square. On September 23, 1863, George Stephen acquired (in his wife's name, Annie Charlotte Kane) the land and residence of William Carter, then located at 213 De la Montagne Street. The residence was situated on a lot (lot 1525) approximately 44 meters (145 feet) wide by approximately 82 meters (270 feet) deep, bordering De la Montagne Street to the southwest and Drummond Street to the northeast. On February 18, 1875, George Stephen attempted, unsuccessfully, to sell the portion of his land bordering Drummond Street, likely to obtain additional capital needed for the establishment of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Around 1880, George Stephen decided to build a new residence on a portion of his property bordering Drummond Street. He then commissioned architect William Tutin Thomas to design and build his future home. Thomas conceived the house as an Italianate palazzo in the Renaissance Revival style or Italianate style. However, no information indicates why this style was chosen, nor whether it was a preference of the architect or the client. On the other hand, the architect is believed to have been inspired by the plans for William H. Vanderbilt's Fifth Avenue mansion in New York, which was then under construction (1880-1882). William Tutin Thomas conceived this residence as a complete work of art, meaning he also designed all the interior decorations as well as all the furniture, which he had custom-made.
1881 to 1883 : construction Years Construction stages Architects Contractors 1881-1883 Construction William Tutin Thomas F. Casey (possibly of the Wm. Rutherford & Co. (general contractor)); J. H. Hutchison (masonry); Archibald McIntyre (cabinetmaking and interior woodwork), Robert Mitchell & Co. (plumbing, heating and gas lighting systems); Jacques & Hay (almost all of the furniture, wall hangings, curtains, etc.); James Thomson (part of the custom-made furniture); John Burns & Co. (stove). Between 1901 and 1903 Replacing the front boundary wall with a wrought iron fence 1927 Replacement of the greenhouse's glass wall panels with stone walls and extension at the rear Grattan D. Thompson Bremner Norris & Co. Limited 1937 Reconstruction of the exterior front staircase on new foundations The Purdy and Henderson Co. Ltd. 1948 Extension of the south side of the greenhouse J.L.E. Price & Co. Ltd. 1953 North side extension Philippe Lebel L. Gordon Tarlton 1956-57 Rear extension and interior modifications P. Goodfellow R. F. Walsh Co. Ltd 1958 Interior modifications on the second floor R. F. Walsh Co. Ltd 1962 Changes to the kitchen R. F. Walsh Co. Ltd Between 1985 and 1989 Cleaning of the exterior wallsBrian Merrett, « Maison Lord Mount Stephen, 1440, rue Drummond, Montréal » Online (?) 1996 Removal of 6 trees at the front of the property (Chinese elms) which were damaging the fence and the front yard 2004 Au sous-sol et rez-de-chaussée : réaménagement partiel des locaux, réfection des fondations, installation de pieux, aucun travail extérieur 2006 On the ground floor: interior redesign and addition of a central air conditioning system. At the rear of the building: a two-level extension (basement and ground floor), the addition of meeting rooms, and the addition of a lean-to for roof access. 2007 Construction of a 156 m2 café-terrace in the front courtyard 2012 Partial dismantling of the west and north annexes of the building. The rear annex, comprising two levels: the basement, the kitchen, and the Elizabeth room (ground floor level), with a total building area of 609 m2. The north annex, comprising the changing room, has a floor area of 131 m2. 2012-2016 Construction of a contemporary hotel at the rear, comprising 80 rooms, shops, and an underground parking garage with approximately 96 spaces.Permit 3000327867-13 mentions instead the construction of an 83-room hotel and 95 parking units. Lemay / Leclerc Architectes (Équipe d’architectes : Michel Lauzon, Gino Mauri, Didier Heckel, Sandra Neill, Jean-François St-Onge, Bryan Marchand, Jean-François Fortin-Gadoury, Virginie Pontbriand, Damien Leman, Geneviève Telmosse, François Desmarais) Construction Tidan (Entrepreneur), Nicolet, Chartrand, Knoll Ltd. (Structure), Pageau Morel et associés inc. (Mécanique/Électrique), Technorm (Sécurité du bâtiment et normes), Lemay (Design intérieur) 2015 Unauthorized destruction of the three chimneys (1883), the wrought iron fence (1900-1903), and the wooden cornice on the North facade. (?) (Five architects were involved in the construction.) (?) 2016-2017 Installation of a reinforced concrete structure supporting the historic building, including 16 new pillars. Dismantling of the northern section of the east facade, replacement of the original red brick structure with concrete blocks, and reassembly of the facade. Reconstruction of the three chimneys and the wrought-iron fence. Other (miscellaneous). (?) (Five architects were involved in the construction.) Firme NCK (Ingénierie civile/Structure), St-Denis Thompson (Maçonnerie) et autres February 2017 Restoration of the wrought iron fence (?) April 2017 Restoration of the exterior staircases St-Denis Thompson (Masonry) 2026 Restoration of the exterior staircases St-Denis Thompson (Masonry) Construction of George Stephen's new residence began in 1881. The superintendance of construction was entrusted to a certain "F. Casey" (possibly Félix Casey of the Wm. Rutherford & Co.), who may also have executed some of the woodwork, such as the building wood structure and windows. J. H. Hutchison carried out the masonry work. The interior woodwork (cabinetmaking, wood paneling and decor, etc.) was done by the team of carpenter and joiner Archibald McIntyre. Robert Mitchell & Co. handled the plumbing, as well as the heating and gas lighting systems. The Jacques & Hay firm of Toronto produced most of the furniture according to the designs of architect William Tutin Thomas. Cabinetmaker James Thomson also contributed to the production of some furniture. George Stephen was able to closely observe the construction of his new residence from his home.
On March 25, 1882, the newspaper The Daily Witness reported that construction of the house was "nearing completion." However, work continued until the end of May 1883. Moreover, given the clay soil of the site, the foundations rested on five hundred wooden piles. George Stephen and his wife, Annie Charlotte Kane, moved into their new residence in June 1883. However, the interior decoration and furnishings, as well as the landscaping, were not yet finished. For example, the decorations in the main living room (paneling, fireplace, and wall hangings) were still not installed, nor were some of the stained-glass windows, including those in the stairwell. Outside, the stable was still not built.
During the summer of 1883, stained-glass artist John C. Spence completed the installation of the stained-glass windows. The decoration and furnishings of the main living room were also gradually completed during this period. A new stable facing De la Montagne Street was built. On September 6, 1883, George Stephen auctioned off all the furnishings from his previous residence at 339 De la Montagne Street. Toward the end of 1883 or the beginning of 1884, George Stephen's former home and its outbuildings were demolished. Consequently, the landscaping of the estate was likely completed during the summer of 1884.
1883 to 1896 : George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
On September 18, 1883, George Stephen inaugurated his new residence with a reception held in honour of Lord Carnarvon, who was visiting Montreal at the time. Among the guests were the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Théodore Robitaille, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, John Beverley Robinson, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, and the Honourable Edward Blake.
On September 25, 1883, George Stephen received the Governor General of Canada, John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, and his wife, Princess Louise, for a visit of a few days.
In addition to building a new residence in Montreal, George Stephen acquired a townhouse on Park Lane in London around October 1883.
During the summer of 1884, George Stephen had a piano delivered, specially designed for his residence by the architect William Tutin Thomas and manufactured by the Decker Brothers company of New York.
On September 15, 1884, George Stephen received Lord and Lady Lansdowne at his residence. They stayed at George Stephen's house again on January 26, 1885.
In March 1885, George Stephen's gardener, J. Stanford, won first prize from the Montreal Horticultural Society for the best-maintained greenhouses in the city. He won first prize again in March 1886.
In January 1886, George Stephen was created a baronet.
In August 1886, a delegation from the United Caledonian Association of North America visited George Stephen's house, among other residences. Among the members of this delegation was the mayor of Philadelphia, William Burns Smith.
In October 1886, George Stephen purchased the Métis River and seigneury from Judge U. J. Tessier for $CAD 20,000. He then commissioned his architect, William Tutin Thomas, to design a summer residence, called "Estevan Lodge", for him in Métis. The general construction contract was awarded to Simon Peters of Quebec City.