A More than Three-Hundred-Year- Old History

On May 5, 1646, François de Champflour, Commandant of Trois-Rivières, was awarded a plot of land. Three years later, his fief was sold to Jacques LeNeuf de la Potherie, a fur trader who served several times as Alternate Governor of Trois-Rivières. He then purchased another strip of land called terre d’Amiot, which expanded his seigniory to about 90 acres. In 1668, he built a two-storey half-timbered corps de logis, along with a bakery, a barn, a cow-shed and a flour mill, as well as other buildings needed for his subsistence and that of his tenants (censitaires). Thus was born the Manoir in its first version.

In 1729, the fief de la Potherie along with its manor were acquired by François Chastelain, a marine officer and seigneur de Sainte-Marguerite. He made major modifications to the manor involving a substantial enlargement, which gave it the shape we see today. He later passed it on as a present to his daughter, Marie-Josephte, on the occasion of her marriage to Joseph-Claude Boucher de Niverville. This was when the manor got its present-day name. After the death of this famous soldier, in 1805, the building was preserved by his heirs for several decades.

The manor then hosted a succession of owners and their families. It was miraculously saved from the flames during the disastrous fire of 1908, thus giving it a special notoriety with the loss of so many heritage buildings. Despite its rescue, the future of the manor was not assured. Deserted for several years, it was saved from demolition in 1940 by the Committee for the 300^th anniversary of Trois-Rivières, which became its owner.

A Historic Monument

On March 30, 1960, the Manoir was classified as a historic monument. It was restored 11 years later by the Historic Monuments Commission of Québec. It was then assigned a protected area and a Euro-Quebec archaeological site. In fact, the vestiges found there contributed to the restoration of the manor and understanding its evolution and the techniques used for its construction.

The Manoir Boucher de Niverville is a major feature of Trois-Rivières’ heritage. Restored almost to its original condition, it bears witness to the built heritage of New France, a bygone era that profoundly influenced the course of Québec history.

Manoir Boucher de Niverville in 1880
Collection de la Société de conservation et d’animation du patrimoine de Trois-Rivières

Manoir Boucher de Niverville in 1933
Archives du Séminaire de Trois-Rivières, cote: FN-0064-61-05.

Manoir Boucher de Niverville in 2009

A Man Behind a Name

Joseph-Claude Boucher de Niverville was born in 1715 in a prominent Trois-Rivières family. Descended from the Governor of Trois-Rivières, Pierre Boucher, and son of sieur de Niverville, Jean-Baptiste Boucher, he could look forward to a bright future. This did not exempt him from having to work hard, first as a cadet for his father, then as a teacher, lieutenant, interpreter, judge of the peace and, finally, colonel.

A career soldier, he was very active in the Calgary area where he established numerous posts and forts. He gained fame between 1757 and 1759 at Fort William-Henry, which greatly contributed to his being awarded the Croix de Saint-Louis during a forced exile in France in 1761. Upon his return to Trois-Rivières three years later, the British Army gave him command of the local militia. Under his orders, and with the help of Antoine Gauthier, his men drove back the American troops at the Battle of Trois-Rivières in 1776.

As he spoke the Abenaki language, sieur de Niverville was appointed superintendent of this Aboriginal nation. So, periodically during the year, Aboriginals would gather on the vast and beautiful lawn around the manor, where they would put up their white tents and ask for help from the government. Major trades between Aboriginals and settlers also took place there.