This story originally published on August 26, 2015 is part of our Classic Series we love to revisit.

This unique property is located just behind Marché Bonsecours where cobblestones streets take you down memory lane when Old Montreal was the busy business center of a port city. There stand 4 original houses annexed into one single property which comprises a private home, a 9 room lodge and a restaurant. Listing agent Bernard Tardif from Keller Williams Urbain takes us inside.

For this visit I had to invite my friend Isaac Larose, founder of the Larose Paris hat company since we share this passion for historic and urban exploration. The preserved cachet had so much details that it would be hard for me to render the feeling we got as we stepped in with only a couple of pictures. Seems like the walls here are speaking.

Owner of the property is the artist Gaëtan Trottier who gladly accepted to share with us: “Back in the 60’s when my father owned the house, there was this plan for the Old Montreal to be demolished in order to make room for a riverside highway. One like they were building all over the US. Remember, that was back when the automobile was driving America. My father fought very hard to impeach this project.” Historically, the Old Montreal conceded its role as the business center to the upper city when “downtown” moved up toward place Ville-Marie.

Inside the 9 different rooms available for rent are custom mahogany sculpted beds and furniture ordered from a village Gaëtan visited in Honduras where he also helped the locals build a school. As you can judge from these pictures, the melange of natural light and the chandeliers creates an indescribable ambiance which fascinated our friend here.

“In 1775 during the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin had meetings in this house. He also left here a paper press used to print out propaganda flyers. It is on this very press that 3 years later, was printed the first edition of The Montreal Gazette. If you look at the paper and see the mention “since 1778″ on it, well, that was it” recounts Mr. Trottier. We were obviously mind blown.

Our favorite room was indeed the solarium that connects several rooms and the four annexed buildings around the interior garden. Mr. Trottier keeps a selection of exotic birds and one coquet parrot from which Isaac was granted permission to pluck a blue feather as a future hat ornament.

Thanks to Bernard Tardif and Gaëtan Trottier for their precious time and rich storytelling. More details about this one of a kind listing can be found here.