You are standing in Place Manson, the unique central hub of Mansonville’s civic and commercial life. Few villages may boast such an attractive square, or ‘common’ as it was formerly called. It is located on land deeded to the municipality around 1850 by William Blanchard Manson, a grandson of one of Mansonville’s founders, Robert Manson, for whom the village was named.
In 1811, Robert Manson bought land along the North Missisquoi River where he built mills. With his three brothers, Manson also built a hotel in the center of the village and the Town Square which housed the town hall, businesses and the customs office, thus providing the economic nucleus for the Municipality of the Township of Potton, which came into being in 1855. From then on, the village of Mansonville developed rapidly, so much so that by the end of the 19th century it became, and remains to this day, the economic and administrative heart of the Township of Potton.
As you stroll by the buildings that surround Place Manson, you will see a part of Mansonville's history unfold. The large red brick building that dominates the square, the Town Hall, built in 1923-24, and is actually the third to have been built on the site. Disastrous fires in 1910 and in 1923 destroyed the previous town offices. Few of Potton’s earliest historical records survived.
High up on the facade of the building to your left, is the iconic Masonic emblem of a square and a compass. Built in 1925 by the Freemasons of Potton, it houses the St. John’s Lodge founded more than 150 years ago. Freemasonry is a fraternity whose origins go back to the Middle Ages and the builders of cathedrals. In the Eastern Townships, this society, dedicated to mutual aid and education, was very popular among men of American and British descent, both for economic interaction and social enrichment.
Along Main Street to the north, are a series of buildings constructed between 1860 and 1910. Most have lost their original appearance due to numerous renovations over the years. Several businesses once thrived here, including a grocery store, a hardware store, a credit union and a general store.
At the corner of Mill Street, on the north side of the square, stands an imposing building built in 1824 by James Manson, which housed the Windsor Hotel. Various owners operated businesses here, until Joseph-Alfred Giroux acquired it with his nephew in 1918 and transformed it into a general store. For more than a century, five generations of Giroux's have run the family business. Still operated by the family, the business, now a hardware store, has kept its old charm with its old counter in the back and its wooden floors that creak under customers’ feet.