Look at the photo on your screen and take a good look at the brick house in the foreground, on the right side. This is the general store that belonged to Gédéon Desmarais for a long time. But before him, this business belonged to a man named Thomas Gill, as can be read on the sign above the door.
Thomas Gill was the father of Irène-Anne Rachel Gill. She married Paul Comtois, from Pierreville, on September 27, 1921. Agronomist by profession, Paul Comtois had a career in politics and was sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec from 1961 to 1966.
Today, you will notice that this former general store had undergone many modifications. Notice the disappearance of the old brick chimney and the door between the two windows upstairs. On the other hand, a showcase was added to the facade, serving as a display for a variety of objects that recall the memory of a general store.
Along Notre-Dame Street, it is always possible to observe a beautiful diversity of period houses in various styles. Observe their proportions, siding materials, ornamentations and colors. Most of the houses have been carefully preserved and restored.
Several houses on this street bear witness to the strong cultural influence of the United States for a long time. One of the many variations of the American house model is the two-floors house with its main entry door arranged on the longest façade facing the street. Can you recognize these houses along the street?