Discovered during restoration work at the Louis-Joseph Papineau Manor, a long-forgotten flag has sparked curiosity. A closer look at the process that brought it back into the light.

The Manor presents itself as a grand, elegant residence built on a landscaped promontory, nestled between forest and the Ottawa River. The heritage value of the Manoir-Papineau National Historic Site is closely tied to the life of the statesman himself. The Manor paints a portrait of the lawyer and seigneur through his architectural preferences, his taste for eclecticism, his reading habits, his knowledge of agriculture, and his interest in genealogy. Louis-Joseph Papineau settled on the estate in 1845 and withdrew from Canadian political life in 1854.

In 2017, STGM Architecture was commissioned by Parks Canada to conduct a comprehensive study of the Manor-Papineau building envelope at the National Historic Site in Montebello, in preparation for its restoration. During this work, the team noticed a curious metal flag perched atop the building’s square tower.

A discovery that raises questions

This very unusual flag—pierced with three stars, painted the same colour as the roof covering and mounted on a metal rod—immediately caught the attention of the architects. Its elongated, flame-like shapes evoke movement in the wind. Time had taken its toll: the flag was weathered, patched, and beginning to oxidize. Even the copper rod serving as the lightning rod tip had been painted. A lead flashing at the base of the rod completed the assembly. Having been in place for so long, the flag had become almost invisible, seemingly forgotten by site managers. It was not until the roof replacement work in the winter of 2020 that renewed interest in the object emerged.

During on-site studies and further investigation of the building envelope, we observed several distinctive characteristics: the three stars cut directly into the metal and crude repairs made to keep the flag attached to its copper rod. Painted a dull grey matching the roof, this medieval-looking banner—installed under Papineau’s stewardship—clearly held deeper meaning.

Why three stars instead of a single one, as on the Patriots’ flag? Why this particular shape? Many questions arose, but few answers followed. The Manor-Papineau archives are extensive, and archivists and historians generously shared a wealth of information. However, only blurry black-and-white images were available for close examination, scrutinized with magnifying glasses in search of any revealing detail. Unfortunately, neither the archives nor the photographs could explain the flag’s significance. Still, we remained convinced that it had not yet revealed all its secrets. 

Tracing the past

When roofing work began in September 2020, the workers handed the flag over to STGM Architecture’s team. In the midst of the pandemic, with Parks Canada conservators overwhelmed and unable to examine the banner themselves, we were entrusted with defining conservation interventions to ensure its long-term preservation. Faced with this challenge, we called upon Raynald Bilodeau. A former Parks Canada professional now retired, Mr. Bilodeau specialized in chromatic studies and had worked on numerous classified heritage buildings, including the interiors of the Papineau Manor in the mid-1990s. 

From the very first scalpel strokes removing layers of time-hardened paint, the colours of the Patriots’ flag emerged beneath the metal blade. Careful scraping revealed colour placement, shapes, and the artist’s intent. Although we may never know why this flag was absent from Papineau’s extensive notes and manuscripts, its preservation clearly reflects his desire to identify with the Patriotes. This flag, which symbolized the inhabitants of Lower Canada, was notably used by Papineau’s Patriotes during the 1838 uprising against British troops.

Building on these findings, Raynald Bilodeau multiplied the paint scrapings on both sides of the flag, uncovering further information that allowed us to faithfully reproduce the original graphic design. With this representation established, restoration of what was now confirmed to be a true banner could begin. 

Bringing the banner back to life

During this restoration campaign, several conservation projects involving cast iron and hand-forged metal elements were entrusted to blacksmith and conservator Pierre Nadeau. Like our heritage team, he approaches his work by first thoroughly understanding the foundations of each intervention. He began by studying the metal to assess the condition of the components and understand the stresses imposed by wind and weather over time. A detailed report was prepared, followed by a second workshop visit that allowed us to review the condition of each piece and the methods proposed to safeguard the artifact.

Pierre Nadeau then removed lead-contaminated paint in accordance with environmental protocols. This stripping process revealed the quality of the metal, its craftsmanship, and its impurities. Armed with this information, the blacksmith could determine the appropriate techniques and products for restoration and repainting.

Analysis revealed that over the years, the banner had been reinforced with riveted metal pieces to compensate for the weakened areas created by the star cut-outs. Although this crude intervention lacked respect for the original artistic intent, it likely prevented fracture and preserved the artifact atop the square tower. While modern metallurgical techniques could restore the banner to its original form by removing this makeshift brace, there was no intention to erase this part of its history.

Once stripping was complete, the blacksmith treated the metals, corrected imperfections, and eliminated galvanic corrosion between the copper grounding rod and the galvanized steel sleeve. Drawing on Raynald Bilodeau’s chromatic study, Mr. Nadeau completed the research required to select the appropriate paint colours.

Returning to the summit

On a cold January day in 2021, the rejuvenated banner returned to its place atop the square tower. Quietly, without ceremony, workers slid the sleeve onto the copper rod—a discreet gesture reflecting Papineau’s own motivations for installing the banner more than 150 years earlier.

Heritage restoration and conservation work is often carried out without fanfare. The very purpose of the discipline is to ensure the longevity of our heritage with the respect such an endeavour demands, regardless of individual recognition. It is the preservation of memory—of gestures, objects, and architectural meaning—that drives the experts involved. The reinstatement of the banner atop the Papineau Manor’s square tower stands as a testament to the dedication of a heritage team committed to this mission.

Photography: Raphaël Thibodeau