Built on farmland, the house was used for several generations by the Robert and Bélanger families. Constructed of stone, with a gabled roof covered in Canadian-style sheet metal, it is one of the oldest farmhouses on the island of Montréal. 

Maison Robert-Bélanger bears witness to the agricultural activities of the former municipality of Saint-Laurent before the area’s urbanization. 

In 2009, the house and its grounds were designated a historic monument under the Cultural Property Act. The following year, Ville de Montréal acquired the property to preserve this heritage building, which had been left abandoned, and to restore it to its original purpose. 

Major restoration work was carried out between 2021 and 2023.

Following its acquisition, Saint-Laurent undertook the restoration of the house to highlight its original purpose. The renovation plan is based in part on archaeological excavations conducted on the site. 

Key projects include: 

• Restoration of the house’s original floor plan 
• Reinforcement of the stone structure 
• Restoration of the interior plasterwork using traditional techniques 
• Preservation of archaeological remains, including the bread oven, the stable and the wells 

To make the site greener, the existing plants were preserved. Traditional and medicinal plants were also reintroduced. Next, an orchard and vegetable gardens were developed. A walking path and a gathering area were created, and street furniture and lighting were also added. 

In addition, the building was made universally accessible to host small-scale events. The project received LEED v4 certification. 

The restoration work on Maison Robert-Bélanger was carried out with financial support from the Québec government and Ville de Montréal, under the Montréal Cultural development agreement. Moreover, the exterior improvements were carried out with support from the Gouvernement du Québec and the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), under the financial assistance program for the Greater Montréal green and blue network.

Following its restoration, the site’s exterior design, created by WAA+, was recognized at the 18th edition of the Grands Prix du design. It received Gold certification in the Architecture / Landscape Architecture – Cultural and Institutional Projects category as well as the title of Grand Prize Winner in the Landscape and Territory discipline. 

The renovation of Maison Robert-Bélanger also won the Grand Prize at Opération patrimoine Montréal 2023, in the Revitalization category.

The property on which the house is located, covering an area of over 7,030 square metres, is a key site within the Saint-Laurent Biodiversity Corridor. Situated on Chemin du Bois-Franc, it is at the heart of one of the five priority areas identified within the corridor due to its significant ecological and historical value and its potential for ecological connectivity with the Ruisseau Bertrand green corridor.