Welcome to the Beaulne Museum at the Chateau Arthur-osmore-norton
As visitors make their way through the Beaulne Museum in Coaticook, many may wonder how this exquisite building came to be. Rich in historical architecture and beauty, the Chateau that currently serves as the Museum dates back to 1912 and has served many purposes since its construction.
The Chateau Arthur-osmore-norton was built by Coaticook pioneer Arthur Norton, best known for his production of the Norton Railway Jacks, following his purchase of various pieces of land between 1902 and 1908 that were located behind his first place of residence on Union Street.
In 1912, Norton finally took on the task of building his dream home. Visitors of the museum will have the opportunity to witness the various styles that influenced the Chateau’s incredible architecture, like that of the Queen Anne style.
He, along with his wife Helen M. Richardson and their two children Harry Arunah Norton and Mary Helen Norton, would make this Chateau their second
home. After his company A.O. Norton Limited started to take off, the Norton family spent most of their time in the United States where he had factories set up in Boston.
The house would stay in the family until Mary Helen, who inherited the Chateau after her father’s death in 1919, and her brother Harry finally decided to transfer the home to the Church of England Female Orphan Asylum of Quebec.
For years, the Chateau served as a place of residence for young girls of Bishop Mountain Hall, the church’ boarding school for young girls. Bishop Mountain Hall was established in 1829 and it was one of the oldest charitable institutions of the Anglican Church in Quebec. It was originally established as a home for orphans but became a significant place of learning. The Church moved its boarding school from Quebec City to Coaticook in 1942. Bishop Mountain Hall would officially close its doors in 1968 and the Chateau was once again empty.
For a few years following that, the Chateau would become home to residents of the Dixville Home.
“The Museum housed residents from 1971 to 1976,” explained co-founder of the Dixville Home Gerrit Van der Mark, “then we moved back to Dixville.” The Chateau housed about 18 to 20 residents during that period of time.
In 1976, the Museum, which was founded in 1964 on the 100th anniversary of Coaticook, would finally take its place in the Chateau after the Coaticook municipality purchased the building. Before that, it was housed in the City Hall and in the old post office. It would officially open its doors to the public in 1978.
In 1975 the Museum was name after Denise Beaulne, a volunteer whose passion for the history and heritage of the area allowed this museum to thrive. For ten years, she collected, donated, and restored any items she came across that she believed were of importance to the heritage of Coaticook. She was the first person in charge of the museum upon its foundation.
Since taking its place in the Chateau in 1976, the Beaulne Museum remains an important institution in the Coaticook community and continues to preserve the significant pieces of the area’s history and heritage while keeping the legacy of the Norton family alive.
If you’d like to visit the Beaulne Museum, it is located at 97 Union Street, Coaticook. From September 16th to May 15th the museum is open from Monday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. From July to August, the museum is open on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.