International District in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Édifice Wilson Chambers
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Wilson Chambers
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2024
1. Édifice Wilson Chambers / Wilson Chambers Marker
Erected by Commission
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.
Location. 45° 30.058′ N, 73° 33.588′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in the International District. It is at the intersection of Rue McGill and Rue Notre Dame, on the right when traveling east on Rue McGill. The maker is mounted at eye-level on the north facade of the subject building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 Rue McGill, Montréal QC H2Y 2H6, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: First Young Men's Christian Association on the American Continent
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2024
2. Édifice Wilson Chambers / Wilson Chambers Marker
The marker is mounted on a column on the north facade of the building.
Regarding Édifice Wilson Chambers / Wilson Chambers. Wilson Chambers was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1990 because it is a rare surviving example of a commercial building in the Gothic Revival Style. It is also listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places (2009/07/17).
From the Canadian Register Statement of Significance:
Key features contributing to the heritage value of this site include: its location on a corner lot in downtown Montreal; the substantial massing of this rectangular corner building lightened by its carefulcomposition and scale, and the receding slope of its mansard roof; the balanced scale of the vertical façades with each succeeding storey more shallow than the one below, set high on a foundation that is equal in height to the slope of the mansard roof; the use of structural features to underline the composition of the building as a series of horizontal layers, such as protruding stone curbs between individual storeys, strong entablature and cornice at the roof edge, and a heavy entablature as a surround on the high roof line; the regularity of the composition of the façade with vertically aligned windows, that are set in strongly defined horizontal lines created by the repetition of a different window form on each storey; the inclusion of gable-roofed dormer windows with ornamental pediments and a submerged chimney form to give detail to the roof; the eclectic combination of features from a range of architectural styles, including the Gothic Revival pointed arch window openings, Italianate round-headed window openings, classical entablature, and Second Empire mansard roof; the skillful use of contrasting stone, as seen in the smooth block walls and shaped feature details, pressed metal, seen in the smooth shingles and shaped roof and entablature details.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 20243. Édifice Wilson Chambers / Wilson Chambers Building (northeast elevation)The marker is visible just to the right of the traffic light pole.
Also see . . .
1. Wilson Chambers National Historic Site of Canada.
Excerpt: Popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century, the High Victorian phase of the Gothic Revival style arrived in Canada in the years just prior to Confederation and coincided with a period during which many prominent religious, civic, and scholastic institutions were constructed. While numerous churches and institutional buildings were erected in this style, Gothic Revival commercial buildings were a rarity.(Submitted on March 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Wilson Chambers National Historic Site of Canada (Canadian Register of Historic Places).
Excerpt: Wilson Chambers National Historic Site of Canada, is located on a corner lot in downtown Montréal, is a Gothic Revival style commercial building with Italianate and Second Empire influences. It is distinguished by its four-and-a-half-storey stone massing, its numerous pointed arch window openings, smooth expanses of glass, and mansard roof.(Submitted on March 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 169 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
