Heritage site

Fire destroys Conroy-McDonald house

Located at 47 Symmes Street, just behind the British Hotel, a two-storey heritage house was engulfed by flames around 5 am on November 14.

The Gatineau fire department had the flames under control around 10 am. No one was in the building at the time and the investigation was not transferred to the police department. Damages are estimated at approximately $175,000. There was no mention of whether or not the building was equipped with a fire detector. At press time, the fire department had no information as to the circumstances that might have triggered the fire.

The building was the Conroy-McDonald heritage house built in 1850 by masonry contractor William Davis. Robert Conroy, a local lumber merchant had bought the house around 1860 and rented it until he died in 1868.

Robert Conroy was well known in the area. In 1834, he had the British Hotel built. The Conroy-McDonald house was designated a heritage building in 1997. (Trans.: CB)