# Château de Ramezay

- **Country:** Canada
- **Year Built:** 1706 (reconstructed in 1756-57)
- **Castle Type:** Official residence
- **Location Text:** Quebec
- **Architectural Style:** French Colonial

The Château Ramezay is a historic building and museum located on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada, situated opposite Montreal City Hall. Built in 1705 as the residence of Claude de Ramezay, then-governor of Montreal, the Château holds the distinction of being the first building proclaimed as a historical monument in Quebec and remains the province's oldest private history museum. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1949.

The Château has served multiple significant roles throughout its history. During the American Revolutionary War, it became the Canadian headquarters for the Continental Army from 1775, and Benjamin Franklin stayed there overnight in 1776 while attempting to recruit troops for the American cause. Following the British conquest, the building functioned as the official residence for British governors until 1849, complementing their other residences in Quebec City and Sorel. In 1878, the Château underwent another transformation when it opened to house Université de Montréal's first Faculty of Medicine.

Over the centuries, the Château has changed ownership multiple times, notably when Ramezay's descendants sold the manor to the Compagnie des Indes, a fur-trading company. Today, the building functions as a museum and historic site, preserving Montreal's colonial heritage and architectural legacy for visitors and researchers.

![Photo of Château de Ramezay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Ch%C3%A2teau_Ramezay.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_Ramezay (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)