It Will,
However, Be Replaced By A Light And Handsome Iron Bridge Of A Single
Span Over The Roadway With Flanking Norman Turrets.
KENT GATE.
For the information of our visitors and strangers generally, we may
explain that, a few years since, the western fortification wall
between St. John's gate and the military exercising ground in past
years, known as the Esplanade, was cut through to form a roadway
communicating between the higher levels of the Upper Town and the St.
Louis suburbs, now styled Montcalm Ward.
It consequently became necessary, in keeping with the aesthetic spirit
of the whole Dufferin scheme, to fill up in some way this unsightly
gap without interfering with the traffic. It was finally decided to
erect here one of the proposed memorial gates, which is altogether
therefore an addition to the number of the existing gates or their
intended substitutes. This edifice, has been designed to do homage to
the memory of Edward, Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria. This
gate will be the most imposing of all in the entire circuit of the
fortifications, while it has had the signal honour of further being
reserved for a handsome subscription towards its cost from Her
Majesty's privy purse and dedication at the hands of H. R. H. the
Princess, who laid its corner stone with appropriate ceremonial during
the month of June, 1879.
THE CITADEL GATES.
Besides the foregoing, however, the fortress possesses in reality two
other gates of much interest to the stranger. When the famous Citadel,
commanding the entire harbour and surrounding country, was constructed
on Cape Diamond, the number of existing gates was increased from five
to seven by the erection of the Chain and Dalhousie, or Citadel gates,
leading to that great fortalice of British power, which may be aptly
styled the summum opus of the magnificent but costly system of
strategic works that has earned for Quebec its title of the Gibraltar
of America. But, as these belong to the Citadel, which is an
independent stronghold of itself, rather than to the defensive works
of the city proper, it suffices to mention that they were erected
under the administration of the Earl of Dalhousie, in 1827, and that
they are well worthy of a visit of inspection - the one being a
handsome and formidable barrier of its class and the other of very
massive construction and considerable depth.
The proposed Chateau St. Louis or Castle of St. Louis, must be
regarded as the crowning feature of the Dufferin scheme of
embellishment and was designed by the late Governor General to serve
as a vice-regal residence during the sojourn of the representative of
the Crown in Quebec, as well as to revive the historic splendors of
the ancient pile of that name, which formed the abode of the early
Governors of New France. Of course, this noble structure only exists
as yet on paper; but, should it ever be erected, it will be a striking
object from any point whence the Citadel is visible as it will rise to
a considerable height above its highest battlements, standing out in
bold relief to the east of the building known as the Officers'
Quarters, with a frontage of 200 feet, and an elevation partly of 60
and partly of 100 feet, with a basement, two main stories, and mansard
roof and two towers of different heights, but of equally charming
design - the style of architecture of the whole being an agreeable
melange of the picturesque Norman and Elizabethan.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 177 of 451
Words from 92505 to 93093
of 236821
