Located in L’Anse-au-Griffon, near Forillon National Park and just 30 minutes from downtown Gaspé, Manoir Le Boutillier has become an essential destination for anyone seeking to learn more about the culture and history of the Gaspé Peninsula.
Built around 1850-1860, Manoir Le Boutillier served multiple purposes at the time — fishing station, manager’s house, general store and lodging for the hired men. In 1975, it was designated as a national historic site of Canada for architectural reasons. The Manoir has also been designated as an historical monument by the Government of Québec.
The Centre socioculturel Manoir Le Boutillier inc. is a non-profit organisation in operation since 1978. Its principal goal is to manage and administer Manoir Le Boutillier for cultural and educational purposes. The organisation has taken on the primary mission to safeguard, preserve and promote Manoir Le Boutillier by sharing its fascinating story.
The history of Manoir Le Boutillier is evidenced by its first owner, John Le Boutillier, who throughout his life enjoyed dual careers during much of the 19th century, as a politician who made a place for himself in the State apparatus while simultaneously overseeing the interest of his region and as a businessman whose operations were essentially founded on the processing and sale of a rather particular product, salt-cured cod. As a politician, his career encompassed nearly forty years of history at a time when Canada was being built and much had yet to be done on the Gaspé Peninsula, a task dear to his heart. As for his career as a businessman, although his success earned him membership in the ranks of Canada’s great industrialists and we now know more about the economic context of the time, we still know very little about the man himself, his endeavours or his motivations. (Mario Mimeault, « John Le Boutillier 1797-1872 » La grande époque de la Gaspésie.)
Every year, the interpretation activities organised at the Manoir attract many visitors seeking to learn more about the history of the Gaspé Peninsula. The guided tours, offered to small groups, are adapted to take into account the interests of visitors, who have an opportunity to find out more about what life was once like in the Gaspé by listening to the tale of the life of that great visionary, John Le Boutillier.
