Vauquelin Square
| Vauquelin Square French: Place Vauquelin | |
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The fountain at Vauquelin Square. | |
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| Type | Town square |
| Location | Old Montreal, Ville-Marie Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°30′30″N 73°33′16″W / 45.508333°N 73.554444°WCoordinates: 45°30′30″N 73°33′16″W / 45.508333°N 73.554444°W |
| Created | 1858 |
| Operated by | City of Montreal |
| Status | Open all year |
Vauquelin Square (officially in French: Place Vauquelin) is a small urban square located in Old Montreal.
Overview
The square was a part of the fief given in 1658 to Lambert Closse and ceded to the Jesuits in 1692. It passed to the Crown in 1763 and was the site of the old prison until 1836. In 1846, the Quebec government took over the prison and demolished it, so that they could construct the new Court house in 1850.
The demolition of the old prison liberated the space necessary for the west side of the new court house. From 1858, the remaining land is created in a square called Neptune Square. At the center, a fountain was built and a small statue in the image of Neptune, God of the Sea was placed in the middle of the fountain. In 1895 the square was given an original structure with a newspaper stand.
In 1902 the city of Montreal rented the land for the sum of one dollar a year. In 1924, with the reconstruction of city hall, the square was renamed City Hall Square. Six years later the name changed again. In 1930 during a public inquiry, the square was renamed Place Vauquelin, and a statue, which was created by Paul-Eugène Benet in the memory of Jean Vauquelin (1728–1772), was placed in the square. Vauquelin was the French captain of a navy ship, which distinguished itself in the defense of Louisbourg during the seven-year war. The monument to Vaquelin was unveiled on 22 June 1930. The height of the monument is 6.8 metres (22 ft) of which the statue 2.8 metres (9.2 ft).
At the centennial anniversary of the founding of Montreal on 5 June 1833, Mayor Rinfret as he then was styled, unveiled a plaque to commemorate Jacques Viger, the city's first mayor.
In 1966, the square was recreated to the shape it has today. Until then, cars would circulate from each side of the statue between Notre Dame Street and Champ-de-Mars. The statue of Vauquelin is now displaced and is moved towards the back of statue of Horatio Nelson, situated north of Jacques Cartier Square. Other works to the square occurred in 1984.
Gallery
The fountain
Vauquelin Square and Nelson's Column
Jacques Viger plaque