Return/retour

A Preliminary Study
of Louisbourg Ceilings

by Brenda Dunn
[Christian Pouyez, Editor]

In Historians,
Preliminary Architectural Studies,
Volume 03, Unpublished Report HG 02
(Fortress of Louisbourg, 1972,
Report Number H G 02 03 06)

Buildings in Louisbourg did not normally have ceilings distinct from the flooring or the roofing above. When ceilings where installed, they were usually located on the upper storey of a house, often in a deck-style, that is to say applied on the rafters and tie-beams of the roof trusses [NOTE 1]. Wood was the common material used, although the Domestic Architecture File has one reference which indicates a plaster ceiling.

(1)

CEILING TYPES AND LOCATION

Most of the ceilings on the ground floor were open ceilings, consisting of the exposed joists and the floor planks or boards of the floor above. Houses are usually described as planchée haut et bas (an upper and lower floor), and no references are made to a ceiling other than this upper floor. As the upper floors were commonly made of planks or boards planed on one side only (the upper side), the appearance of these open ceilings must have been very coarse [NOTE 2]. Though Chabat indicates that very elaborate open ceilings may have carved joists and even decorated panels between the joists, there is no evidence that such ceilings existed in Louisbourg [NOTE 3].

Boarded or plaster ceilings as such seem to have been confined mainly to the upper stories of houses. It can be assumed that any attic room which was inhabited had a ceiling. However, we have only one specific example of this structure: a deck-type ceiling of Boston boards was to be built in the second storey ravalement of a new house in 1754 [NOTE 4]. There are a few specific references to wooden ceilings in official toisés [PAGE 3:] and marchés. Usually, it is not known which storey these rooms occupied. The early Government building at Louisbourg, mentioned in 1718, was to have ceilings in a chambre and a cabinet [NOTE 5]. The 1749 repair toisé refers to ceilings in the officers' rooms and the four corridors separating them in the barracks of the Queen's bastion [NOTE 6]. A ceiling in the kitchen of the Governor's wing was included in the 1727 toisé of the King's bastion barracks; the current theory explaining this ceiling in a ground floor room is that its purpose was to prevent cooking odors from rising to the Governor's apartment above [NOTE 7].

Our only reference to a plaster ceiling is in the 1754 addition to the Ordonnateur's house: thirty five thousand cedar laths were supplied, at a cost of 385 livres, for the ceilings:

trente cinq milles lattes de bois de cadre qu'il a fourni pour les platsfonds de la maison du Roy occupée par M. l'ordonnateur. [NOTE 8].

(2)

CONSTRUCTION

The Louisbourg toisés and marchés include ceilings with wainscoting (lambris), partitions, and sometimes floors [NOTE 9]. The same style of construction was used for wainscoting and ceilings: one pouce boards, tongue-and-grooved, planed an one side. A general stipulation called for nails and tringles, although possibly the latter were intended to be used only with wainscoting and partitions. The 1753 Devis provides the only detail on the width of the boards to be used: one pied [NOTE 10].

In the case of upper stories deck-type ceilings, the planks or boards were nailed directly to the underside of the rafters and tie-beams. This was done in well finished rooms, such as the proposed Council Chamber, the Council Chamber and offices of the proposed addition to the Ordonnateur's house, in the Engineer's house and in the Chapel [NOTE 11]. [PAGE 4:]

Prices for ceilings remained relatively constant at 12 and 14 livres per square toise. The ceiling of the kitchen and the chapel of the King's bastion barracks cost the same amount: 14 livres per square toise:

(01) GOUVERNEMENT Building (1718): WOOD TYPE - Fir; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 5 livres

(02) GOUVERNEMENT Building (1718): WOOD TYPE - Pine (unplaned); PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 4 livres

(03) KING'S BASTION BARRACKS Building (1727): WOOD TYPE - Fir; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 14 livres

(04) ISLE ST. JEAN BUILDINGS (1733): WOOD TYPE - n/a; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 12 livres

(05) PORT TOULOUSE BUILDINGS (1733): WOOD TYPE - Local type; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 12 livres

(06) ENGINEER'S HOUSE (1734): WOOD TYPE - n/a; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 14 livres

(07) LOUISBOURG FORTIFICATION (1737): WOOD TYPE - n/a; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 14 livres

(08) QUEEN'S BASTION BARRACKS (1749): WOOD TYPE - n/a; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 14 livres

(09) FORTIFICATIONS AND KING'S BUILDINGS (1753): WOOD TYPE - Pine or Boston boards; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = 12 livres

(10) PRIVATE HOUSE (1754): WOOD TYPE - Boston boards; PRICE PER SQUARE TOISE = n/a

Fir and pine, not to mention the enigmatic "Boston boards", were used for ceilings. Fir is mentioned only in the early years (1718, 1727) and seems to have been replaced by pine or local wood, and Boston boards. The 1753 Devis calls for local pine (bois de pin du pays) or, if necessary, Boston boards.

It should be noted that most of the information provided in this report deals with King's buildings, which were mainly military. It is difficult to say whether there was a difference between the ceilings in these buildings and those in private dwellings. Therefore, one must use caution when using these data on reconstruction of private houses.

[PAGE 5:]

ENDNOTES

[NOTE 1:] A.F.L., M.C., 737-5 and 739-5. [NOTE 2:] Brenda Dunn, "A preliminary study of floors in Louisbourg". Preliminary Architectural Studies, vol. 1, p. 6. [NOTE 3:] Chabat, Dictionnaire des termes employés dans la construction, (Paris, Morel, 1876), T.II, art. PLAFOND. [NOTE 4:] Devis d'une maison. Louisbourg, 26 juillet 1754. A.N., Section Outre-Mer, G3, carton 2042, no. 69. [NOTE 5:] "Etat des fonds ordonnés pour les fortifications de l'Isle Royalle". Louisbourg, 31 décembre 1718. A.N., Col. C11B, vol. 3, fol. 124. [NOTE 6:] "Etat des ouvrages de reparations et fournitures qui ont esté faittes dans tous les batiments du Roy à Louisbourg". Louisbourg, 31 décembre 1749. A.N., Col., C11B vol. 28, fol. 338. [NOTE 7:] "Toisé des ouvrages... que le Sr. Ganet a fait au corps des cazernes du Bastion du Roy et Pavillon [de ces] cazernes". Louisbourg, 4 mai 1727. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 9, fol. 169v- 171. [NOTE 8:] "Bordereau de la recette et dépense faitte à l'Isle Royalle pendant l'année 1754". Louisbourg, 15 septembre 1757. A.N., Col., C11B vol. 14, fol. 43-66. [NOTE 9:] (i) "Etat des fonds ordonnés pour les fortifications de l'Isle Royalle". Louisbourg, 31 d6cembre 1718. A.N., Col., C11B vol. 3, fol. 124. (ii) "Toisé des ouvrages...que le Sr. Ganet a fait... ". Louisbourg, 4 mai 1727. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 9, fol. 169-171. [PAGE 6:] (iii) "Devis pour l'Etablissement de deux cords de bâtiment à faire en charpente...". Louisbourg, 10 septembre 1733. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 14, fol. 385 v. [iv) "Devis pour l'établissement de trois corps de bâtiments à faire au Port Toulouze...". Louisbourg, 18 septembre 1733. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 14, fol. 343-351. (v) "Marché pour les ouvrages à faire à l'isle St. Jean". Louisbourg, 23 septembre 1733. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 14, fol. 318-322. (vi) "Marché pour les ouvrages à faire au Port Toulouze". Louisbourg, 28 septembre 1733. A.N., Col., C11B vol. 14, f. 310-317v. (vii) "Toisé des ouvrages...faits pour la construction du logement de l'ingenieur en chef". Louisbourg, 30 septembre 1734. A.N., Col., C11B vol. 16, fol. 206-207. (viii) "Marché pour les fortifications de la ville de Louisbourg". Louisbourg, 10 mai 1737. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 19, fol. 182v. (ix) "Estat des ouvrages de reparation et fournitures...". Louisbourg, 31 décembre 1749. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 28, fol. 338. (x) "Devis et conditions à observer par ceux qui entrepredront les ouvrages ordonnés par le Roy aux fortifications de cette place et aux bâtiments appartenant à sa majesté". Louisbourg, 25 septembre 1753. Archives du Séminaire de Québec, Papiers Surlaville. [NOTE 10:] "Devis et conditions...". Louisbourg, 25 septembre 1753. Archives du Seminaire de Québec. Papiers Surlaville. [PAGE 7:] [NOTE 11:] A.F.L., M.C., 737-5, 739-5. Toisé des ouvrages...du logement de l'ingénieur en chef". Louisbourg, 30 septembre 1734. A.N., Col., C11B, vol. 16, fol. 206-207.

----------------------------------------------

Return/retour