The Restoration Project
The Restoration Project
The first Notre-Dame church was built in 1672 along the axis of Notre-Dame Street. By the early 19th century, Montreal’s population had grown considerably, so the parish administration decided to build a new church. The project was entrusted to Irish-born New York architect James O'Donnell. The mandate? Build the largest and most beautiful Catholic church in North America. In 1823 O'Donnell submitted his proposal for a Gothic style building and it was quickly accepted.
Work began in May of 1824, with the demolition of four houses and a cemetery on the site designated for the new church. The three-metre-high foundation walls of Montreal limestone were erected in July and August of the same year and the following two years were devoted to building the 1.5-metre-thick walls. In the autumn of 1826, the nave's 16 columns were erected and the wooden floor was laid. The roof was installed later, in 1827. Work continued, and in June 1829, the church was inaugurated, although the interior decoration work was not completed until 1830. Sadly, James O'Donnell died that year without ever having seen his finished work. Lack of funds forced the building committee to halt the work, and the towers and spires were not completed until the early 1840s, under the direction of John Ostell and based on O'Donnell's plans.
The older, baroque-style church was demolished in 1830, however the bell tower, an Italian style campanile, remained standing until 1843 just after the construction was completed on the two new towers. In addition, the façade of the old church was saved and installed as the façade of the Récollets church.
Initially, the interior of the church was somewhat spare. Dissatisfied with its plain, uncluttered interior, the parish commissioned Montreal architect Victor Bourgeau to completely redesign the décor in 1856. Renovation work began in 1872 and continued into the 1880s.
With its rich architecture and sumptuous interior decor, Notre-Dame Basilica has always been regarded as an icon by Montrealers. The church was elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica by apostolic writ on April 21, 1982, and received a visit from Pope John Paul II in September 1984.
In 2029, Notre-Dame Basilica will celebrate its 200th anniversary. Two centuries of exposure to Montreal's climate have left deep scars, particularly on the two bell towers, whose inferior stonework was deemed problematic at the time of construction. Erosion has carved deep cracks, causing water infiltration. This, combined with repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, has accelerated deterioration.
In addition, a large number of tower stones have been laid against the natural direction of sedimentation, resulting in delamination. Inappropriate interventions over the past decades have also led to vertical fracturing in the ashlars (cut and dressed stones).
Currently, the pinnacles, crenellations and corner towers of the upper third of the towers must be completely rebuilt using new stone. The lead flashings, installed in the 1930s, have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. In addition, the woodwork of the abat-sons (sound louvers) and rosettes is significantly damaged.
This work requires a significant amount of site preparation. Setting up the scaffolding alone takes almost two months. During the course of the project, the scaffolding requires modifications to suit the conditions as the work progresses. At the top of the tower, a motorized hydraulic arm was temporarily installed to remove and replace individual stones. In addition, two mobile platforms are used to remove the debris and bring the new stones to their future location.
Repointing work and occasional repairs also require the installation of scaffolding. Carrying out this work on the belfry is particularly complex.
Once the site has been prepared, the main stages of the project are as follows:
On the site, you'll find both traditional hand tools, such as:
…as well as mechanical tools, including:
In addition to the restoration/repair of the ashlar facing and all the woodwork on the towers and central facade, the project also involves the restoration of statues and many other sculpted elements. Replacing the lead flashings with tin-plated copper flashings is an extensive and demanding job, carried out by skilled tinsmiths. The cladding of crenellations and pinnacles requires particular care and skill.
This type of exceptional restoration mandate also brings with it a great responsibility to act with discernment and moderation so as not to alter the heritage value of these unique historic buildings.
However, some elements are too deteriorated to be preserved, due to age, quality of materials or prolonged exposure to harsh environmental conditions. In the case of the Basilica, a thorough analysis of the greater masonry structure, together with an assessment of the ability of the existing limestone to continue to fulfil its role, led to the difficult but necessary decision to replace a considerable number of blocks. This intervention, although significant, was undertaken to ensure the building's long-term stability and durability, while respecting its heritage value.