Grey Nuns' Hospital

The Grey Nuns' Hospital (also known as Hôpital général des frères Charron) was a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that operated from 1695 to 1871. It is located south of Place d'Youville and west of Rue Saint-Pierre.

History
The name Hôpital général des frères Charron (General Hospital of the Frères Charron) refers to a French religious community of the same name. It focused on care of the poor. The hospital was built outside the Fortifications of Montreal in 1695. Management and hospital administration were entrusted to the Grey Nuns in 1747.

The hospital suffered a major fire in 1765 and was rebuilt again according to the style of French architecture, that is to say, with large walls composed of rough stone called rubble that had been squared and covered in plaster. The architecture, which is very utilitarian, is rudimentary and has little ornamentation. The gable roof prevents the accumulation of snow in winter. The structure, being less massive and simpler to build meant a lower risk of fire. Finally, wrought-iron esses are used to reinforce the structure with stems screwed into the wood frame.

In 1871, the Grey Nuns and their hospital moved uptown, to the building known as the Grey Nuns Motherhouse. On the original site, the eastern wings and most of the central chapel were demolished to make way for an extension of Saint-Pierre Street and the construction of new rental shop-warehouses, while the remaining half of the old building was also rented as warehouses. The rental income from the old site thus helped support the continued charitable work at the new location.

In 1971, the Grey Nuns decided to return to their first mother-house. Major renovations of the building were undertaken.

The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1973.