Donegana's Hotel, previously known as Bingham House, stood on the north-west corner of
Notre-Dame Street
Notre-Dame Street (officially in french: Rue Notre-Dame) is a historic east-west street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It runs parallel to the Saint Lawrence River, from Lachine to the eastern tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, ...
and Bonsecours Street, a block away from
Bonsecours Market
Bonsecours Market (french: Marché Bonsecours), at 350 rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal, is a two-story domed public market. For more than 100 years, it was the main public market in the Montreal area. It also briefly accommodated the Parliament of ...
in the
Old Montreal
Old Montreal (French: ''Vieux-Montréal'') is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on th ...
district of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Originally built as a private residence in 1821, the house served as the
vice-regal
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
residence of the
Governors General of Canada from 1837 until 1843. From 1843 to 1846 it briefly housed the
High School of Montreal
The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...
, before the school built its own premises. The building was then bought by Jean-Marie Donegana, who enlarged it to become the largest hotel in the
British Colonies
A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
. It became famous across
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, where its reputation was only equal to, if not exceeding, that of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
's
Astor House
The Astor House was a luxury hotel in New York City. Located on the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street in what is now the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan, it opened in 1836 and soon became the best-known hotel in Amer ...
.
[Important from Canada, 1849](_blank)
/ref> Donegana's was burnt down in the Montreal Riots of 1849.
The site was sold in 1850 and the hotel rebuilt by American management[Troy Daily Whig, July 16, 1850] as a new Donegana Hotel, which prospered until th
1870s
under hotelier Daniel Gale. Gale promoted it in New York papers as a Montreal hotel that was equal to the finest American hostelries. Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
agent and wine merchant P. C. Martin lived there around 1863, and after the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
the family of ex-President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
stayed at the Donegana during their time in Montreal. In 1880 the second hotel was replaced by the Hôpital Notre-Dame
Hôpital Notre-Dame ( en, Notre Dame Hospital) is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on Sherbrooke Street East in the borough of Ville-Marie, across from La Fontaine Park. It was established in 1880, and has been at its presen ...
.
Early years
Originally built as a private home, the main structure was started in 1821 for the American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short scal ...
William Bingham (1800-1852), only son of Senator Bingham, in preparation for his marriage the following year to Marie-Charlotte Chartier de Lotbinière (1805-1866), daughter and co-heiress of the 2nd Marquis de Lotbinière. The Bingham house became a centre for fashionable society living in, and visiting, Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
.
In 1834, the Binghams left Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
for Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and for a time they leased their old home to Lord Seaton. In 1837, Lord Durham
Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1833 for the Whig politician and colonial official John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham. Known as "Radical Jack", he played a leading role in the passing of the Gre ...
, the newly appointed Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...
, took lease of the house having chosen the imposing mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
over the run-down Château de Ramezay
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Nowaday ...
for his official residence. Durham required that the house was furnished in "superior style" and no expense was spared to meet his exacting standards.[Edgar Allen Collard]
Donegana's and the Charity Ball
in ''Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
''(1972), accessed 1 January 2018 Governors General Lord Sydenham and afterwards Sir Charles Bagot maintained the house as their official residence until 1843, when it was sold by the Binghams who by then had made their permanent home in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
at Broome Park, Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
.
In September 1843, the house became the first home of the newly enrolled students of the High School of Montreal
The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...
, of whom there were 167 by the end of the session. At the end of the school's first academic year, the closing ceremony, presided over by the Hon. Peter McGill
Peter McGill (August 1789 – September 28, 1860) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842.
Biography
He was born Peter McCutcheon in the village of Creebridge, Wigtownshi ...
, with Lord Metcalfe presenting the prizes, was held in the large hall that had previously been the Binghams' ballroom
A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...
.[ In 1845, the school moved to its purpose built home on Belmont Street.
]
Donegana's
In 1845, the house was purchased by hotelier
A hotel manager, hotelier, or lodging manager is a person who manages the operation of a hotel, motel, resort, or other lodging-related establishment. Management of a hotel operation includes, but is not limited to management of hotel staff, bu ...
Jean-Marie Donegana, the already well-known general manager of Rasco's Hotel in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
. The facade of the building was kept as it had been when it was the Bingham's home, but extensive additions were made to the rear of the building. Donegana's stretched across to the Champ de Mars
The Champ de Mars (; en, Field of Mars) is a large public greenspace in Paris, France, located in the seventh ''arrondissement'', between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. The park is named after the ...
and in its time was the largest hotel in the British colonies
A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
. Every luxury was made available, including hot and cold baths at any hour of the day, and the gas lighting
Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directl ...
that lit the hotel was said to have given "a marvellous effect to the rich marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
decorations" in the lobbies.[Edgar Allen Collard, Montreal Gazette - 1972](_blank)
/ref> Each of the 150 apartments had its own bathroom. The dining room measured 100 by 218 feet
The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...
and the gallery surrounding the cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
that rose over the building offered a commanding 360 degree
Degree may refer to:
As a unit of measurement
* Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement
** Degree of geographical latitude
** Degree of geographical longitude
* Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics
...
view of the city.
Though Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
was still a comparatively small town of some 40,000 people in 1845, John Bigsby had noted 25 years previously that its inns were "as remarkable for their palatial exterior" as for their "excellent accommodation within"; remarking that Montreal was "a stirring and opulent town.. advanced in all the luxuries and comforts of high civilisation." Donegana's did not disappoint, it was said to be on a par to Astor House
The Astor House was a luxury hotel in New York City. Located on the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street in what is now the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan, it opened in 1836 and soon became the best-known hotel in Amer ...
in New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and as good a hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
as many in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. A British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
who was visiting Montreal described it as "a magnificent establishment," finding the furnishings equal to its "splendid" architecture: "Everything was conducted in this hotel in the first style: the furniture was superb, and the attendance. All French waiters
Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...
, most admirable, while the cuisine
A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...
was of the most recherché character".
In 1847, Donegana's hosted the first Charity Ball
A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...
in aid of the Montreal Maternity Hospital under the patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of the Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, Lord Elgin
Earl of Elgin is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1633 for Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss. He was later created Baron Bruce, of Whorlton in the County of York, in the Peerage of England on 30 July 1641. The Earl of Elgin is the h ...
. Not long after this event, Elgin's aide-de-camp, Lord Mark Kerr, decided to stir up some excitement in the hotel when he had heard there was an abundance of American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
tourists staying. He rode his horse through the three immense doors into the dining room and stepped around the table. At first the tourists were stunned and then greatly amused, and Kerr afterwards found himself showered with invitations to New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. It was also at Donegana's that members of the Montreal Hunt
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
met to halt a Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
officer from selling their hounds
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted.
Hound may also refer to:
* Dog, any dog of the subfamily Caninae
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hounds'' (TV series), a 2012 television comedy series set a ...
. Guests included Maurice Sand
Jean-François-Maurice-Arnauld Dudevant, known as Baron Dudevant but better known by the pseudonym Maurice Sand (June 30, 1823 in Paris – September 4, 1889 in Nohant-Vic), was a French writer, artist and entomologist. He studied art under Eug ...
and Jérôme Napoleon Bonaparte Jerome (c.347–420) was a priest, confessor, theologian and historian from Dalmatia.
Jerome may also refer to:
People Given name
* Jerome (given name), a masculine name of Greek origin, with a list of people so named
* Saint Jerome (disambiguat ...
. Residents when Parliament was in session included Sir Allan Napier MacNab of Dundurn Castle
Dundurn Castle is a historic neoclassical mansion on York Boulevard in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The house took three years and $175,000 to build, and was completed in 1835.
The forty-room castle featured the latest conveniences of gas lighti ...
and Chief Justice Joseph-Rémi Vallières de Saint-Réal
Joseph-Rémi Vallières de Saint-Réal (October 1, 1787 – February 17, 1847) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada.
He was born Joseph-Rémi Vallières in Carleton in 1787, the son of a blacksmith, and moved to Windham ...
.
First home of Notre-Dame hospital
In 1880, the former hotel became the first home of Notre-Dame hospital
Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:
* Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France
* University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States
** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the ...
, where it could host about 50 patients. By 1900, the hotel was too small for the needs of the growing institution. The hospital would move north in 1924, on Sherbrooke street where it still stands today.
See also
*Ritz-Carlton Montreal
The Ritz-Carlton Montreal is a luxury hotel located at 1228 Sherbrooke Street West, on the corner of Drummond Street, in Montreal, Quebec. Opened in 1912, it was the first Ritz-Carlton hotel in North America. Its name was originally licensed by C ...
* Windsor Hotel, Montreal
References
External links
Photograph:Donegana Hotel, circa 1860
- McCord Museum
{{Defunct hotels in Canada
Buildings and structures demolished in 1880
Buildings and structures in Canada destroyed by arson
Demolished buildings and structures in Montreal
Defunct hotels in Canada
Houses completed in 1821
Hotels in Montreal
Houses in Montreal
Landmarks in Montreal
Neoclassical architecture in Canada
Old Montreal