The Chateau St. Louis in Quebec City

Quebec City

Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

 was the official residence

Official residence

An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...

 of the French

Kingdom of France

The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...

 Governor

Governor of New France

The Governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French noble, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Château St-Louis in the capital of Quebec City...

 of New France

New France

New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...

 and later the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 Governor of Quebec, the Governor-General of British North America, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada.

The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

First chateau

The first chateau was built under the direction of Governor Charles Huault de Montmagny in 1648 but by the 1680s it was in a state of disreprair.

Second chateau

Construction of a replacement on the same site began in 1694 under Governor General Louis de Buade de Frontenac

Louis de Buade de Frontenac

Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698...

. Frontenac died there in 1698. A new pavilion and two new wings were added from 1719 to 1723.

The building was then serevely damaged during the Siege of Quebec after which time it passed into British hands.

The house was gradually rebuild in sections over the next forty years. In the meantime the governors split their time between the St. Louis and a new building, called the New Chateau or Chateau Haldimand after governor Haldimand

Frederick Haldimand

Sir Frederick Haldimand, KB was a military officer best known for his service in the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...

.

The St. Louis was destroyed by fire in January 1834. Afterward it was replaced by a series of terraces

Terrace (building)

A terrace is an outdoor, occupiable extension of a building above ground level. Although its physical characteristics may vary to a great degree, a terrace will generally be larger than a balcony and will have an "open-top" facing the sky...

.

The site of the New Chateau is now occupied by the Chateau Frontenac Hotel, which is named after Governor Frontenac.

During the 1830s the governor and his family also used a summer home in Sorel and the Chateau de Ramezay in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

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