Hurtubise House, French Colonial house in Westmount, Canada
Hurtubise House is a three-story stone building constructed in French Colonial style that stands on Côte-Saint-Antoine Road in Westmount. The thick walls and traditional construction methods define its structure and outward appearance.
Jean Hurtubise bought the land in 1699, and the house was built in 1739. The Hurtubise family lived there for six generations and farmed the surrounding fields until 1880. In 1944 Alice Lighthall campaigned against a developer's plan to demolish it, and in 1956 the Canadian Heritage of Quebec saved it. It was classified as a heritage site on 16 December 2004.
The house is named after the Hurtubise family, who farmed the land for six generations from 1699. Residents of Ville-Marie called it "La haute folie" because it stood far from the fortified town on the St. Lawrence. Inside, 1885 wallpaper and a flat stone set as a kitchen sink remain in place.
Hurtubise House is open for visitation by appointment only, arranged through the Canadian Heritage of Quebec, which has owned the property since 1961. The house stands at 561 Côte-Saint-Antoine Road, on the corner of Victoria Avenue in Westmount, a short walk from the Victoria Village shops. The brick annex added in the 1870s is visible from the street side.
The house was nicknamed "La haute folie" by Ville-Marie residents because it stood so far from the safety of the fortified town on the St. Lawrence. Its basement ventilation holes, later mistaken for gun ports, kept winter vegetables from rotting.
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