The Merry House: Bringing history to life
Built in 1821, the Merry House is one of the most important landmarks from Magog's early days. Now a museum, it tells the story of the Merry family, whose entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to education and dedication to preserving local history helped shape the community we know today.
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Maison MerryServices
The Merrys, Entrepreneurs
Today, thanks to companies like Escapades Memphrémagog or Les Croisières L’Air du Lac, you can enjoy a pleasant stroll across the waves. This experience couldn't be further from that of our pioneers! Ralph Merry III (1753-1825) arrived at the lake's outlet in 1799, we believe, by crossing over the ice with his family.
Forget the Rue Principale filled with restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. The Merrys arrived in a vast forest then known primarily only to the Indigenous people who used it for portage. Even if our magnificent theatre, Le Vieux Clocher, had been there at the time, the Merrys wouldn't have had the time to go. They had to clear land, make ends meet by producing potash, and operate gristmills and sawmills by harnessing the power of the falls. The family's first home, a log cabin, did not give way to the house we know today until 1821.
The first half of the 19th century saw Ralph IV (1786-1863) and his nephew Ralph V (1809-1887) multiply large-scale projects. Among their creations: Canada's first match factory, a large textile mill that would become part of the Dominion Textile, the first railway to reach Magog, and even a fish hatchery belonging to a pan-Canadian network for the protection of fish in our waterways. This was a forward-thinking ecological initiative of which Conservation Memphrémagog and the Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises are proud heirs today.
The Merrys, Teachers
Returning from Orford, with its cafe, restaurants, and bakery, you head toward Magog and, immediately after passing a few magnificent B&Bs housed in incredible heritage residences, you come across the Magog Community Centre. It may not be obvious, but it was once an educational institution, the Saint-Patrice Convent, in operation from 1891 to 1974. Of course, it wasn't the first school!
Ralph Merry IV was the first teacher at "the Outlet" in 1818, working out of a tiny building located across from what is now Magog Marine. Where did Ralph teach from 1821 to 1824? At the Merry House, of course! Education would always remain important to the family. In 1855, Ralph V was among the founders of the Magog Academy, and in 1890, his daughter Florence (1843-1928) became the first female school commissioner in Canada. It was also she who sold Merry’s Point to the municipality in 1909. Thanks to this, the site now features a magnificent park and a sublime beach.
The Merrys, Storytellers
The concept of memory seems to have been strong with the Merrys. Ralph IV and Ralph V both kept diaries that allow us to trace the evolution of our great city step by step. The house itself, preserved by six generations of Merrys, is a superb witness to the past. Today transformed into a museum, this community memory site offers all kinds of summertime and educational activities, in addition to a boutique featuring local handicrafts.
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