The Molson Bank Building was built at the corner of St. Peter and St. James streets (now rue Saint-Pierre and rue Saint-Jacques) in

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 the ...

as the headquarters of the

Molson Bank The Molson Bank (sometimes labeled Molsons Bank) was a Canadian bank founded in Montreal, Quebec, by brothers William (1793–1875) and John Molson, Jr. (1787–1860), the sons of brewery magnate John Molson. History In 1850, it was constitute ...

in 1866 by order of founder

William Molson William Molson (November 5, 1793 – February 18, 1875) was a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the founder and President of Molson Bank, which was in 1925 absorbed by the Bank of Montreal. He was the son of the founder ...

(1793-1875). It was the first building in Montreal to be built in the Second Empire style, designed by

George Browne George Browne may refer to: *Sir George Browne (died 1483) (1440–1483), took part in Buckingham's rebellion *George Browne (archbishop of Dublin) (died 1556), Anglican bishop in Ireland * George Browne (by 1517–62 or later), MP for Berwick-upon ...

working with his son John James George Browne. It is also known as The Downtown Eastside or the Roosevelt Hotel. The bank later merged with

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

in 1925.

History

The proliferation of businesses led to the construction of several hotels and lodgings meant to accommodate the burgeoning blue-collar population. The Downtown Eastside became the centre of political and cultural life in the early 20th century as commercial activity extended beyond

Gastown Gastown is the original settlement that became the core of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and a national historic site and a neighbourhood in the northwest section of the Downtown Eastside, adjacent to Downtown Vancouver. Its h ...

. The bank had 125 branches across the country by 1925, the year it was absorbed by the Bank of Montreal. The building evokes a similar styling as other early 20th century banks across Canada. Advances in building construction and technology meant that the Edwardian commercial style building could rise to a higher zenith. The six-storey, reinforced concrete building did just that: Its facade was fashioned in terra cotta, a reflection of predominant trends south of the border. Like all financial institutions at the time, the Bank of Montreal used architecture to convey strength and stability to its clients.The ornate exterior was coupled with a marble-laden interior that projected high status and permanence. The majesty of the building spoke to the fortune of its tenant and the city as a whole.

References

*Rémillard, François, ''Old Montreal - A Walking Tour'', Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec, 1992 {{coord, 45.50272, N, 73.55903, W, display=title 1866 establishments in Canada Bank of Montreal Commercial buildings in Montreal Commercial buildings completed in 1866 Historic bank buildings in Canada Molson family Old Montreal Second Empire architecture in Canada George Browne buildings

History

See also

References