Moving day comes for historic Griffintown house

A tinyheritage home in Montreal's Griffintowngot a big sendoff today as it was moved temporarily by developers of a new condominium project next door.

The house was built in 1825 on Murray Street, a block east of its present-daylocation, andis believed to have beenmoved to175 de la Montagne Streetby schoolteacher Andrew Keegan in 1865.

Built in a style known as Anglo-Norman, the little house made of wood and brick isone of the rare Griffintownexamples of a style that's usually associated with Quebec City, saidSouthwest borough MayorBenoitDorais.

"It's important to save this kind of heritage, the modest heritage of our neighbours," Dorais said.

Neighbourhood significance

The mayorthanked the developer, Matre Carr, for bucking what he said is the trend in Griffintownof knocking down buildings of significance to the area.

"Developers often don't worry about the neighbourhood they're building in, but that's not the case withMatreCarr," he said.

MatreCarr president Hugo Girard-Beauchampssaid the idea of moving Keegan House dawned on him while watching a television show that showed amuch bigger house beingmoved.

"I was asking myself how to incorporate the house in my project, and I thought, 'Oh my God, that's how I'm going to keep the spirit, the soul of the house intact by moving it like that,'" he said.

Girard-Beauchampssaid preserving KeeganHouse was an essential part of hisnewproject, which is calledBrickfields.

Keegan House will eventually be returned to its spot on de la MontagneStreet and serve aspart of the new project'slobby.

"It's part of our responsibility as a real estate developers," said Girard-Beauchamp.

"It will allow us to see Keegan House for another 200 years."