Baie-Saint-Paul
Maison Bouchard-Simard
The bourgeois dream of an aspiring country gentleman
Closed to public
The bourgeois dream of an aspiring country gentleman
The stories of the Maison Bouchard-Simard and Moulin de La Rémy are intimately intertwined. Roger Bouchard, a miller from Petite-Rivière-Saint-François hired by the Québec Seminary to launch production at the new mill, had the house built in 1832. Bouchard wasn’t just a miller—he was also an enterprising businessman. His grand Regency-style residence was a reflection of the bourgeois social status he aspired to. The quality of the materials used and of the work itself makes it one of the best surviving examples in Quebec. However, Bouchard only lived there for eight years, as more lucrative ventures led him and his family to move to Saguenay.
The house was purchased by Barnabé Simard in 1860. It stayed in the Simard family until 2000, when it was purchased by Héritage Charlevoix. Thanks to the pragmatic frugality of the four generations of Simards who took care of the home, we purchased it in nearly the same condition as when it was built in 1832.
This beautiful home requires extensive and delicate restorations before it can be opened to the public. An inventory and phase-one architectural survey have already been completed.
Both the building’s structure and many of its interior finishes are remarkably well preserved. The protection and restoration of these finishes complicates the restoration and upgrade work.
The earliest European settlements in Mare à la Truite date to approximately 1716, but the land the Maison Bouchard-Simard was built on was allocated in 1746.
There is a smaller house behind the one that Roger Bouchard built in 1832 that we believe was used by the first settlers at the site. Traces of the modest original interior remain, but much of the structure is in poor condition and will require major restoration.
While it is unlikely that this watercolour, painted by Jean-Paul Lemieux in 1934, depicts this particular house, it nevertheless offers an idea of what interiors typically looked like during early colonial times.
Grinding grain since 1825
2023 season, public opening June 24 to September 4, 9 AM to 4 PM
The site is accessible as part of activities co-produced with the Musée de Charlevoix.
Summer 2023: Jully 15 À la soupe! Jully 29 Le grand ménage! September 2 De fil et d'aiguille
A traditional farm setting that captured the hearts and imaginations of viewers of the TV series Le temps d’une paix.
The site is accessible as part of activities co-produced with the Musée de Charlevoix.
Summer 2023: Jully 15 À la soupe! Jully 29 Le grand ménage! September 2 De fil et d'aiguille