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Notre-Dame Basilica
The Notre-Dame Basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada was designed in gothic revival architecture and is considered one of the most dramatic in the world, with a grand and colorful interior, ceilings painted deep blue and then decorated with gold stars, while the sanctuary is a polychrome of gold, silver, azure, red and blue, filled with hundreds of exquisite wooden carvings and numerous religious statues. Considered to be quite unique are the stained glass windows that line the walls of the sanctuary, but they don't depict Biblical scenes, but instead have scenes from the religious history of the city, and houses a Casavant Freres pipe organ that has four keyboards, 97 stops and more than 9000 individual pipes and a pedal board that can be heard throughout the basilica every day. The Roman Catholic Sulpician Order came to Ville-Marie, in 1657, and has grown into Montreal today. They would rule until 1840, and the parish that they founded had been dedicated to the Holy Name of Mary and the parish church of Notre-Dame would be constructed on the site in 1672. It would become the first cathedral of the Diocese of Montreal from 1821 to 1822. Within two years, the congregation had outgrown the church and James O'Donnell, an Irish-American protestant from New York would be commissioned to design a new church, and since he had been a supporter of the gothic revival architectural movement, he would design the church using those designs. He is the only person to be buried in the crypt, after converting to Catholicism before he passed away. The bulk of the construction would occur between 1824 and 1829, with the sanctuary being completed in 1830, then the first tower in 1841, and the second in 1843. When finished, it was the biggest church in North America, and a new pipe organ constructed in 1858 by Samuel Russell Warren. The interior would take more time, with Victor Bourgeau, the architect that worked on Montreal's Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, working on it from 1872 until 1879, with stonemason John Redpath becoming a prominent partner in the construction.

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Maison Historique George-Etienne Cartier
The National Historic Site of Sir George-Etienne Cartier reflects the lifestyle and tastes of George Etienne Cartier, who purchased the house in 1848, and began to install heating and gas lighting, living here for seven years, while he continued to practice law. The house was constructed in 1837, although the architect is still unknown. It would be transformed into a private mansion in 1871, and enjoy more changes within, and the federal government has owned it since 1973. The house is really two identical stone houses, built in the neoclassical style with a second floor, gable roof and stable delivery area behind them. A Mr. Ross had originally lived there, who would give his mother, Jane Davidson, the house in 1839, with Cartier arriving and buying it in 1848 with a few minor changes done besides the heating and lighting. Cartier would eventually move to Quebec to become more involved in the government, renting out the house, until 1871, when it would be changed into a mansion and by 1881, it was a hotel that would be leased to the Ministry of Militia that would stay here for three years, after which it would become the Grand Pacific Hotel. The city would have to take ten feet off the hotel in 1893 to construct a tunnel in the area, while the hotel would be changing hands until Cartier's descendants would sell the property to the city in 1951, and the federal government would buy it in 1973.

May 3, 2011