William Fairbairn house gains new heritage protection

Tashi Farmilo

The William Fairbairn house has received a new layer of heritage protection after Quebec's culture minister Mathieu Lacombe signed a notice of intent to classify the building on July 13, extending legal protection to both its interior and exterior in recognition of its significance as an example of 19th century vernacular residential architecture and its deep ties to the community of Wakefield, in the municipality of La Pêche.

Built around 1860 by Scottish-born pioneer William Fairbairn, the farmhouse reflects the neoclassical residential style common in Quebec at the time, and its detailed ornamentation once signalled the builder's financial standing and desire to stand out among his neighbours. Fairbairn, who arrived in Wakefield in 1834 and built the area's first grist mill in 1838, lived in the house with his family until his death in 1872 and his descendants remained there until 1906. It ranks among the oldest wooden houses surviving in the region.

The house has been moved twice to avoid destruction. A resident mobilization relocated it in the early 1990s when a road project threatened it, and in 2005 the Municipality of La Pêche bought the building and moved it again, this time to Hendrick Park, to prevent its demolition. The municipality formally recognized it as a heritage building in 2009.

Lacombe said the house holds "a very special place in the hearts" of people in La Pêche and the surrounding area, crediting residents from many walks of life for taking real steps over the decades to protect it. He described signing the notice as opening a new chapter for the house and noted the request to classify it had "been proposed by the community" itself.

That sense of long-running community effort was echoed by Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière, who said he has "repeatedly witnessed" residents' commitment to preserving the house over his long political career, and thanked everyone who contributed, directly or indirectly, to saving it. Marc Carrière, prefect of the Collines-de-l'Outaouais regional county municipality, called the notice of intent "long awaited" and thanked the heritage centre's board for its commitment to the site.

Years of volunteer-led restoration work followed the 2009 designation, culminating in the 2012 opening of the Fairbairn House Heritage Centre, the non-profit organization that has run the site ever since. Since October 2022, Quebec has added 31 heritage sites and buildings, 17 historical figures, two places and seven events to its Register of Cultural Heritage.

Lucie Bazinet, president of the Fairbairn house board of directors, said the designation marks "a crucial step" in fulfilling the organization's mission, pointing to the contributions of volunteers, local businesses, the Gatineau Valley Historical Society and the municipality in saving the 1861 building. Since it opened in 2012, she said, the centre has become "an important gathering place" for the community.