Golden Square Mile in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Holt Renfrew
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2024
1. Holt Renfrew Marker
Holt Renfrew
Ouvert en 1937 pour le 100e anniversaire du magasin, l'immeuble Holt Renfrew est un bel exemple de l'architecture moderne épurée.
Élevé à l’emplacement de la maison de 1880, construite à l'origine pour Hugh Paton, ce bel immeuble de six étages en calcaire de l’Indiana est une réalisation de la firme Ross & Macdonald et lui fit remporter une médaille de la Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Ses angles arrondis, son ornementation sobre, ses fenêtres en bandes horizontales et son aspect « aérodynamique » sont autant de marques distinctives de l'architecture moderne épurée, inspirée du style Art déco, qui fut populaire à Montréal jusqu'à la fin des années 1940.
L'immeuble tel qu'il est aujourd'hui est le résultat de deux ajouts : un prolongement à l'ouest réalisé en 1946, par James Kennedy, qui se marie parfaitement à l'immeuble d'origine, et un rajout d'un mur de verre au toit, qui forme le septième étage.
Les armoiries royales qui couronnent la fenêtre de deux étages au-dessus de la marquise de l'entrée et les portes en bronze avec leurs
this page online
La rue Sherbrook
À la suite du prolongement de la rue Sherbrooke vers l'ouest, depuis la rue Aylmer jusqu'à Côte-des-Neiges, dans les années 1840, cette rue est devenue une élégante avenue bordée d'arbres, d'immeubles publics et de résidences privées, qui avaient été construites par des représentants des milieux financiers et de l'industrie au Canada. Elle traversait une magnifique étendue située entre le surplomb au-dessus de la rue Saint-Antoine et le bas des pentes du mont Royal, que nous sommes venus à reconnaître sous le vocable du « Mille carré ».
Le temps, les travaux de démolition et les constructions nouvelles ont considérablement modifié la rue Sherbrooke. Néanmoins, les immeubles qui ont survécu constituent un témoignage éloquent de son glorieux passé. Cette excursion à pied rend hommage à ce remarquable héritage architectural.
Holt Renfrew
A fine example of Streamlined Moderne architecture, the Holt Renfrew building was opened in 1937, for the retailer's 100th anniversary.
Erected on the site of the 1880's house originally built for Hugh Paton, this handsome Indiana limestone 6-storey building was the work of the firm Ross & Macdonald and was awarded
McCord Museum of Canadian History, Notman Photographic Archives
2. Marker detail: Holt Renfrew, construction, 1937
Its rounded corners, sober ornamentation, horizontal bands of windows, and "aerodynamic" appearance are trademarks of Streamlined Moderne, a variant of Art Deco which was popular in Montreal until the end of the 1940's.
As it stands today, the building is the result of two additions: a 1946 extension to the west by James Kennedy, which marries effortlessly with the original building, and a glass-walled addition on the roof, which forms a seventh storey.
Of special interest are the Royal coat-of-arms, which crowns the two-storey window above the entrance marquee, and the bronze doors with their bas-reliefs, which allude to Holt Renfrew's eminence as a Canadian furrier.
Sherbrooke Street
After its extension west from Aylmer Street to Cote-des-Neiges in the 1840s, Sherbrooke Street grew into an elegant tree-lined avenue of public buildings and private residences, built by many of the central figures in Canada's industrial and financial development. It bisected the splendid area from the escarpment above Saint Antoine Street to the slopes of Mount Royal that became known as the Square Mile.
Time, demolition and new construction have changed Sherbrooke Street considerably, but the buildings which have survived bear eloquent testimony to its glorious past. This walking tour
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2024
3. Holt Renfrew Marker
The marker is mounted at eye-level on the front façade, on the right side of the front entrance marquee.
© Fondation Héritage Montréal, 1992.
Erected 1992 by Fondation Héritage Montréal / Montreal Heritage Foundation. (Marker Number 10.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 45° 29.965′ N, 73° 34.725′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in Golden Square Mile. It is at the intersection of Rue Sherbrooke Ouest (Route 138) and Rue de la Montagne, on the right when traveling north on Rue Sherbrooke Ouest. The marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the front facade of the subject building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1300 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal QC H3G 1J4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2024
4. Holt Renfrew Building (northwest/front elevation)
The Royal coat-of-arms crowns the two-storey window above the entrance marquee.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. La Rue Sherbrooke / Sherbrooke Street
Also see . . .
1. Holt Renfrew (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Holt, Renfrew & Co., Limited is a Canadian luxury department store chain founded in 1837 by William S. Henderson. The original William Ashton & Co. store in Quebec City, Lower Canada (now Quebec) operated as a fur shop. The present-day Holt Renfrew name comes from the additions of business partner George Richard Renfrew in 1862, and company president John Henderson Holt in 1900. The company serviced the greater North American and European markets with its mail order catalog beginning in the late 1800s and was appointed Furriers in Ordinary to several members of the British royal family from(Submitted on April 25, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)1886 to 1921.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 20245. Holt Renfrew Building (west elevation)In 1937, in conjunction with the company's 100th anniversary, Holt Renfrew unveiled a new six-storey Montreal headquarters and flagship store. Designed by the Canadian architectural firm of Ross and Macdonald, the structure was built in what became known as the Streamline Moderne style of Art Deco. As of 2024, Holt Renfrew operates six department stores in four Canadian provinces, including the flagship store at the Holt Renfrew Centre on Bloor Street West in Toronto and the former Ogilvy store (now Holt Renfrew Ogilvy) on Saint Catherine Street in Montreal.
2. The history of 1300 Sherbrooke Ouest.
(By Danny Kucharsky, 10/4/2023) Excerpt: Brasswater is transforming 1300 Sherbrooke Ouest, site of historic former Holt Renfrew store. The building became available when Holt Renfrew moved into the Ogilvy department store at 1307 Ste. Catherine St. W. in downtown Montreal. Built in phases in the 1930s and 1990s, the building consists of sections of four and seven storeys. The art-deco section of the Holt Renfrew building, completed in 1937, was designed by the architectural firm Ross and Macdonald, which also designed several of Canada’s château-style hotels, including the(Submitted on April 25, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 20246. Holt Renfrew Building (northeast elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 25, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
