The Château Frontenac

The Château Frontenac (Quebec City, Canada)—July 11, 2013. The Château Frontenac is Quebec City’s most-recognized building. Built in seven stages from 1892-93, this building is an example of the Château-style hotels built by Canada’s railway companies. The hotel evokes the romanticism of the 14th- and 15th-century châteaux of the Loire Valley. In creating the original design, Bruce Price abandoned the classical symmetry of these models in favor of the picturesque eclecticism popular in the late 19th century. Later additions by architects Painter and Maxwell and by the ARCOP firm respect the original spirit of its imposing silhouette, which has become a landmark of Old Quebec. The Château Frontenac was named after Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, who served as governor of New France from 1672 to 1682 and 1689 to 1698. Now a hotel, the Château Frontenac was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980.