La Maison Mère (The Mother House) If you had been here on rue Saint-Paul in 1663, Marguerite Bourgeoys would have welcomed you herself, as she did the first Filles du Roy who arrived in Montreal. Seven years later, Marguerite Bourgeoys and her friends had a larger house, called the?Grande Maison?, built on the same land. Unfortunately, this house burned down on two separate occasions: once in December 1683 and again in 1768. Then, in 1844, the house was partially demolished to be replaced by La?Maison Mère? on rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Today, on the corner of rue Notre-Dame and rue Saint-Laurent, there is a plaque commemorating the former site. Can you imagine all the people who lived here over the years and who are now part of the history of Montreal? Return to the map