NOTICE

Forge open to visitors from June 4th to September 4th, 2023, for summer season
Mandatory reservation (one family bubble at a time) at 418 665-2160.

* if you have Covid-19 symtoms when your are about to visit the forge or during the 14-days periode before, stay at home and let us know so that we can reschedule your reservation at another moment. Thank you.

The administration

Architecture

Built in 1882, the Cauchon forge and woodworking building is exceptional. In Québec, artisan buildings of this size are rare. Rarer still are those encompassing two separate trades in the same building: blacksmithing and woodworking.

Description

Of dovetail post and beam construction, the forge has two full floors covered by a two sloped roof. The configuration is similar to that of the workshop-houses, but instead of residing above his shop, he built a second shop upstairs. The ground floor is devoted to blacksmithing as well as to various other ironworking activities such as wagon wheel making and shoeing while the second floor is dedicated to woodworking. This superimposing two shops is totally peculiar.

On the North wall, beyond the impressive brick fireplace, a lean-to completes the building's outline. It provides additional space in which is installed the leather bellows Joseph Cauchon himself made and that was restored a few years ago.

On the gable wall facing South, we find two doors. The smaller of the two located near the top of the wall provides access to the attic. The second, larger, opens on the woodworking shop. At the beginning of the 20th century, a building extension was attached to this side of the forge. This door provided access between the extension and the workshop. The present stairs were built recently to allow visitors to go upstairs.

During your visit, note the following key elements linked to the architectural value of the forge-woodworking shop that were identified as such by the Ministry of Culture and Communications:

the impressive floor area (12 x 7,5 mètres);
the cedar-shingled shed roof lean-to attached to the North wall that shelters the bellows;
the dovetail post and beam framework and the horizontal exterior board panelling on the gable walls;
the flat stone foundation;
the cedar-shingled, two straight slope roof;
the wooden door and window jambs;
the symmetric arrangement of the front and rear facade openings;
the brick chimney;
the straight interior staircase in the southeastern corner of the building, leading to the second floor;
the exceptional dimensions and size of the double forge.

Source : Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, 2004.
and
GROUPE DE RECHERCHE EN HISTOIRE DU QUÉBEC RURAL INC., ST-PIERRE, Serge et Johanne BLANCHET. Forge-menuiserie Cauchon, Rivière-Malbaie : Étude historique et ethnographique, Document de recherche, non-publié. 136 pages.

Restoration

In 1988, following an earthquake, the owner noticed that the building had become dangerous and thought about selling it. However, thanks to the help of different organizations, the building was moved back several meters from the road, its structure was strengthened by replacing rotted beams and its exterior coating was whitewashed. A few years later, the forge and woodworking shop became an interpretation center open to the public.