The Morrin Centre is a cultural centre in the

Old Quebec Old Quebec (french: Vieux-Québec) is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town (french: Haute-Ville) and Lower Town (french: Basse-Ville), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, Old ...

neighbourhood of

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

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 ...

, Canada. It is designed to educate the public about the historic contribution and present-day culture of local English-speakers. The centre contains the private English-language library of the

Literary and Historical Society of Quebec The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) was the first historical society, and one of the first learned societies, in Canada. It was founded in 1824 by George Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie, governor of British North America. Its headquar ...

, heritage spaces for events, and interpretation services. The English-language library has been located in the Morrin Centre since 1868. The Library is the repository of the LHSQ's collection of historical documents, including copies of the society's journal, ''Transactions''. These documents include original, scientific, historical, and literary articles from the nineteenth century, as well as reprints of older historical primary sources found in archives around the world. In order to access these materials, one must be a member of the library.

History

It is located in a former prison building that has been designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

. This site has served four different functions:Louisa Blair, Patrick Donovan, and Donald Fyson. ''Iron Bars & Bookshelves: A History of the Morrin Centre.'' Montreal: Baraka Books, 2016. *Royal Redoubt (1712–1808) *Quebec City Common Gaol (1812–1867) * Morrin College (1868-c. 1902) *

(1868–present) In 2004, the

became owners of the historic site through an

emphyteutic lease An emphyteutic lease is a type of real estate contract specifying that the lessee must improve the property with construction. The term is commonly used in Quebec and France. These sorts of leases are usually associated with government properties. ...

. In the last decade, the Society has broadened its mandate. The building was entirely renovated, and transformed into the Morrin Centre, which not only houses the library but also acts as Quebec City’s English-language cultural centre and a historical interpretation site.

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA and CHIN.

References

External links

*
Morrin College / Former Quebec Prison National Historic Site of CanadaIron Bars & Bookshelves: A History of the Morrin Centre
{{Authority control Museums in Quebec City History museums in Quebec Prison museums in Canada Education museums Heritage buildings of Quebec National Historic Sites in Quebec Old Quebec Buildings and structures completed in 1712 1868 establishments in Canada Quebec Anglophone culture in Quebec City