Crews in Sherbrooke, Quebec, are dismantling a century-old heritage porch at Domaine-Howard Park stone by stone, with a plan to rebuild it in 2028 using the original materials. City studies flagged widespread instability in the porch structure, prompting a careful takedown focused on public safety and preservation.
The work is part of a broader built-heritage restoration effort the city has estimated at about $17.6 million. During a recent media tour, mason contractor Alexandre Corriveau, president of Maçonnerie M. Corriveau Inc., said workers had reached the final porch column. He described the job as methodical, with extra care needed because concrete was poured inside the original columns. Crews must remove that interior material to free the stones without damaging them.
Before dismantling began, the crew built a detailed record of where every stone belonged. Corriveau said workers photographed the porch from all angles, then used those images to number and match each individual piece, a step he estimated took about 30 hours of prep time. On site, identification codes were written directly on the masonry after brushing and heating the stone, applying paint marker, then heating again to set the mark. Removed stones were stacked on pallets in two layers to reduce damage during storage, and carved elements received added protection.
City documentation cites studies conducted between 2017 and 2025 that found major movement in pillars and arches, advanced deterioration of masonry joints, water infiltration, and loss of effectiveness in structural elements. The city also reported deterioration of wood components embedded in the masonry, movement linked to freeze-thaw cycles, and instability throughout the structure. Access to the porch was closed in July 2024.
The porch is a distinctive feature of the Alberta-May-Campbell house, also known as Pavilion 1, built between 1917 and 1920. The city describes blue-grey soapstone masonry from Stanstead with a combed finish, shallow arches, massive buttressed pillars, and a stepped parapet, with a dated 1920 stone bearing an “H” monogram.
Read the full, original article from The Pulse of the Eastern Townships here.