August 2025.
Resuming from Rue Saint-Pierre, this next Montreal post will briefly cover Rue Sainte-Helene from its intersection with Rue des Recollets to Rue le Moyne. At this point in time during my day, my camera battery was running low, and I was in a mad dash to cover everything I could with the life I had left. This post and the ones after it will be characterized with fewer, more haphazard pictures.
Recollet House II
Historic photo of the building during its occupation by H. Shorey & Co. (Vieux-Montreal)
This is the second portion of a larger Recollet House block (the first Recollet House is immediately west, facing Rue Notre-Dame), which replaced the former Church of the Recollets, demolished in 1867. Recollet House II was designed by Cyrus P. Thomas in the Second Empire style as a warehouse and store, a common typology in this part of Old Montreal. It held dry goods companies for much of its lifetime. In 1983, it was restored and converted into an office building known as 390 Notre-Dame West.
This is a pretty fanciful building for a warehouse and store. Many buildings with similar programs nearby are both smaller and less decorated. Here, the first floor is arcaded with Corinthian columns and detailed pilasters, while the floors above have fancy hood molds and even pediments on the Rue Sainte-Helene facade.
The Rue des Recollets facade is a little simpler, but many of the decorative elements are similar:
Johnston Warehouse & Store
1868 photo of the building under construction. Edits are not my own. (McCord Stewart Museum)
Like the Recollet House, the Johnston Warehouse also replaced a church--this time St. Paul’s Presbyterian church. It was commissioned by James Johnston for use by his dry goods company, and the Second Empire building was designed by Alexander Cowper Hutchinson and completed in 1868. Johnston’s company used the building until around 1900, and the addition of a fifth floor c. 1890 was a result of the company’s success. The second tenant was Finley, Smith, & Co., another dry goods company that also lasted several decades, until the 1950s. After that, the Affiliated Customs Brokers occupied the building, representing this area’s shift from stores and warehouses to offices. The agency was still there as of 2004, but they seem to have vacated since. The Johnston Warehouse is currently used as offices and an extended-stay hotel.
This one is pretty bare without its original cornice. The only major details are the corner quoins and pedimented windows, most other classical influence is very subdued.
Jacob Henry Joseph Warehouses & Stores
1915 photo of the building. (Vieux-Montreal)
This building, although appearing as one continuous unit, is actually three separate stores with warehouses above. It was built for Jacob Henry Joseph by architect James Henry Wells in 1864. As is common for these buildings, its occupants were many and transient, but most were millinery, hat-making, or fabrics companies. In the 1950s, electrical companies moved in, such as Gray Electric Co., which stayed for 50 years. In the early 2000s, the building was restored and converted into apartments.
I like the textured effect of the facade, as well as the many different window shapes:
Hotel Gault/Gault Brothers Warehouse
Historic engraving of the building dating to 1874. (Vieux-Montreal)
This fanciful Second Empire building dates to 1872 and was built for the Gault Brothers & Co. dry goods company. It was designed by John James Browne and intended to highlight the company’s upmarket image it tried to assert. Beginning in 1914, the building was used by two different shoe manufacturing companies. It was converted into a hotel and opened in 2002.
The mansard roof is actually a very detailed recreation dating to the 1990s-2000s renovation. However, the rest of the building remains very intact.
Looking down Rue Sainte-Helene on this side, showing other Second Empire buildings of a similar character:
Jesse Joseph Warehouse & Store V
Jesse Joseph was a developer in 1860s Montreal, and he built at least five warehouse-stores in this general area. This one specifically dates to 1864 and has since been converted into an office building.
More warehouses on this side:
Jesse Joseph Warehouse & Store III
Just like its companion up Rue Sainte-Helene, this warehouse was also built by Jesse Joseph, though it was completed earlier (in 1857) and designed by James H. Springle. It was converted into apartments around 2000 and received an addition on the roof.
Jesse Joseph Warehouse & Store IV
This one has an identical history to its neighbor, but it has different (modern?) windows in place of the arched mullions.
Next up is a pretty big jump--back to Rue Notre-Dame, but this time further north near Vacquelin Place. I do have some photos in between this post’s ending and there, but they’ll be included in part 13.
Sources:
https://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/inventaire/fiches/secteur.php?sec=m
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