14

1723: Construction of the Chemin du Roy. This is the first road suitable for carriages between Quebec and Montreal. In Batiscan, the road layout would be modified four times over the years.

15

1816: Demolition of the first presbytery deemed uninhabitable and erection of the second presbytery on the same site.

16

Second presbytery of Batiscan
20th century, before 1922
Batiscan (Quebec), Canada

Credits:
Vieux manoirs, vieilles maisons, Commission des monuments historiques de la province de Québec

17

1843: Arrival of parish priest Wenceslas Théophilas Fréchette in Batiscan.

18

Father Wenceslas T. Fréchette
19th century, between 1843 and 1875
Batiscan (Quebec), Canada

Credits:
Archives of the Fondation des Amis du Vieux presbytère de Batiscan

19

1855: Addition of a porch to the facade of the presbytery and of a summer kitchen at the back. The summer kitchen no longer exists.

20

1867: The church being too small to welcome all the parishioners, the community decides to have a much larger second church built. The new building is be located farther to the east, at the new center of the village. Father Fréchette pays for the construction of the new presbytery in exchange for the old church, which he transforms into a match factory.

21

St. François-Xavier de Batiscan Church
End of 19th century
Batiscan (Quebec), Canada

Credits:
Pinsonneault

22

1875: Opening of the William J. Scott and Co. match factory in the old church. Father Fréchette is a shareholder. Fire destroys the church-factory and Father Fréchette is bankrupt. He had invested $15 000 in the business.

23

1876: Priest Fréchette leaves the parish and retires to the Asile Champêtre in Montreal.

24

1876: Joseph Deveau, farmer, acquires the old presbytery from the sheriff and donates it to his son Léa.

25

1878: Léa and his wife, Desanges, move into the old presbytery.

26

1882: The Deveau family buys the land where the old church-factory used to be. Over the years, Léa and his wife proceed to clearing the land to make it farmable. No major renovations are made to the building and by the end of the century it is in very poor condition.

27

1922: Acquisition of the property by Montreal engineer Albert Décary. The old presbytery is converted into a summer house for the Décarys: Albert and his son Pierre, accompanied by their maidservants, Élizabeth and Anna. The Deveaus remain on site as guardians. In conformity with social customs, each group occupies a specific area of the building.