Saint Louis Square (officially in ) is an

urban square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

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

. Its eastern edge fronts onto

Saint Denis Street Saint Denis Street (officially in ) 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 Prairies at the north en ...

, 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 A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of people) with a shared socia ...

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 (; 27 January 1850 – 13 June 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 d ...

, 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 figur ...

, 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.

Surrounding buildings

The square is also notable for the Victorian-style residences that face the park. The Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois 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 film adaptation was released in 1967, and the play was published in the same year. Synopsis Susy Hendrix is a blind Greenwi ...

'', 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 Fi ...

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

References

External links

* {{Authority control Squares in Montreal Buildings and structures in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal Parks established in the 1870s 1876 establishments in Quebec