| Saint Louis Square | |
|---|---|
| French:square Saint-Louis | |
 Saint Louis Square, looking east from Laval Street, fountain in the distance, 2005. | |
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| Type | Town square |
| Location | Le Plateau-Mont-Royal,Montreal,Quebec,Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°31′01″N73°34′12″W / 45.517015°N 73.569968°W /45.517015; -73.569968 |
| Created | 1876 |
| Operated by | City of Montreal |
| Public transit access |   atSherbrooke station Terminus Sherbooke |
Saint Louis Square (officially inFrench:square Saint-Louis) is anurban square inMontreal'sPlateau Mont Royal. Its eastern edge fronts ontoSaint Denis Street, a major north–south artery. Square Saint Louis Street runs along both the square's northern and southern sides, while Laval Avenue runs along its western side.
The square is located on the site of the city's former reservoir, which was in use until 1852, after which it was replaced by theMcTavish reservoir following theGreat Fire of 1852. The square was created in 1876 and was named for two businessmen, brothers Emmanuel Saint-Louis and Jean-Baptiste Saint-Louis.[1][2]
TheProject for Public Spaces has called the square "the closest thing to a European neighbourhood square you'll find this side of the Atlantic."[3]
The square's centrepiece is a cast-iron fountain byJordan L. Mott. It is one of the earliest public fountains in the city, composed of two basins, one above the other.
Pieces for this type of fountain would be ordered through the catalogue of J.L. Mott Iron Works, which then were assembled to create a customized composition.[4]
A bust ofOctave Crémazie was unveiled on June 24, 1906, designed byLouis-Philippe Hébert, near the home ofÉmile Nelligan, which faces the square.[5][6]
Nelligan himself was honoured with a bust in the square 99 years later, on June 7, 2005, designed byRoseline Granet.[7]
The square is also notable for the Victorian-style residences that face the park.[1] TheUnion des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois used to be headquartered at 3492 Laval Street, which had once been the residence of directorClaude Jutra. The apartment at 3614 Laval Street was also used to film the opening scene of the 1967 thriller filmWait Until Dark, followed by an exterior scene showing the Saint-Louis Square. The character in the opening scene (played byJean Del Val) is named "Louis" as a nod to the park across the street.
Media related toSaint-Louis Square at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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| National | |
