, photo = Square Saint-Louis3.JPG , photo_width = , photo_caption = Saint Louis Square, looking east from Laval Street, fountain in the distance, 2005. , map = Canada Montreal , map_width = , type =

Town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

, location = Le Plateau-Mont-Royal,

Montreal 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 ...

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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, nearest_city = , coords = , coords_ref = , area = , created = 1876 , operator = City of Montreal , visitation_num = , status = , open = , publictransit = at

Sherbrooke station Sherbrooke station is a Montreal Metro station in the borough of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and serves the Orange Line. This station, near downtown, opened ...

Terminus Sherbooke Saint Louis Square (officially in french: square Saint-Louis) is an urban square in

Plateau Mont Royal Le Plateau-Mont-Royal () is a Montreal borough, borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Plateau-Mont-Royal takes its name from its location on a plateau, on the eastern side of Mont-Royal and overlooking downtow ...

. Its eastern edge fronts onto

Saint Denis Street Saint Denis Street (officially in french: Rue Saint-Denis) is a major north–south thoroughfare in Montreal, Quebec. It extends from the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel on Saint Paul Street in Old Montreal to the bank of the Rivière des Pra ...

, a major north–south artery. Square Saint Louis Street runs along both the square's northern and southern sides, while Laval Avenue runs along its western side.

Overview

The square is located on the site of the city's former reservoir, which was in use until 1852, after which it was replaced by the McTavish reservoir following the Great Fire of 1852. The square was created in 1876 and was named for two businessmen, brothers Emmanuel Saint-Louis and Jean-Baptiste Saint-Louis. The

Project for Public Spaces Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit organization based in New York dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities, in an effort often termed placemaking Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the pla ...

has called the square "the closest thing to a European neighbourhood square you'll find this side of the Atlantic."

Art

''Fontaine du Square Saint-Louis''

The square's centrepiece is a cast-iron fountain by Jordan L. Mott. It is one of the earliest public fountains in the city, composed of two basins, one above the other. Pieces for this type of fountain would be ordered through the catalogue of J.L. Mott Iron Works, which then were assembled to create a customized composition.

''Monument à Louis-Octave Cremazie''

A bust of

Octave Crémazie Octave Crémazie (April 16, 1827 – January 16, 1879) was a French Canadian poet and bookseller born in Quebec City. Recognized both during and after his lifetime for his patriotic verse and his significant role in the cultural development of ...

was unveiled on June 24, 1906, designed by

Louis-Philippe Hébert Louis-Philippe Hébert (1850–1917) was a Canadian sculptor. He is considered one of the best sculptors of his generation. Career Hébert was the son of Théophile Hébert, a farmer, and Julie Bourgeois of Ste-Sophie de Mégantic, Quebec. At ag ...

, near the home of

Émile Nelligan Émile Nelligan (December 24, 1879 – November 18, 1941) was a Canadian Symbolist poet from Montreal who wrote in French. Even though he stopped writing poetry after being institutionalized at the age of 19, Nelligan remains an iconic figure ...

, which faces the square.

''Monument à Émile Nelligan''

Nelligan himself was honoured with a bust in the square 99 years later, on June 7, 2005, designed by

Roseline Granet Roseline Granet (born 1936) is a French sculptor and painter. Granet studied at the Art Students League of New York in 1954. Public art In 1987 Granet was commissioned by the city of Paris to produce a statue of the French philosopher Jean Pa ...

Surrounding buildings

The square is also notable for the Victorian-style residences that face the park. The

Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois L'Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ; English: ''Québec Union of Writers'') is a professional union of writers in Québec, Canada. Founded on March 21, 1977 by some 50 writers following the leadership of Jacques Godbout, ...

used to be headquartered at 3492 Laval Street, which had once been the residence of director

Claude Jutra Claude Jutra (; March 11, 1930 – November 5, 1986) was a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter.

. The apartment at 3614 Laval Street was also used to film the opening scene of the 1967 thriller film ''

Wait Until Dark ''Wait Until Dark'' is a play by Frederick Knott, first performed on Broadway in 1966 and often revived since then. A Wait Until Dark (film), film version was released in 1967, and the play was published in the same year. Synopsis Susy Hendrix ...

'', followed by an exterior scene showing the Saint-Louis Square. The character in the opening scene (played by

Jean Del Val Jean Del Val (born Jean Jacques Gauthier; 17 November 1891 – 13 March 1975) was a French-born actor, also credited as Jean Gauthier and Jean Gautier. Career He played roles during the Hollywood silent era, beginning with ''The Fortunes of Fif ...

) is named "Louis" as a nod to the park across the street.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Squares in Montreal Le Plateau-Mont-Royal