Berlinguet, Louis Thomas | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

BERLINGUET, Louis Thomas (1790-1863), an architect, sculptor, joiner and contractor active in Quebec City from 1810, was born in St. Laruent, Que. and served an apprenticeship with Joseph Pepin from 1806. He worked with Pierre Seguin & Co., Contractors and by 1831 had opened an office and workshop on St. Flavien Street, immediately next door to Thomas Baillairge, with whom he was to collaborate on several commissions. Berlinguet advertised himself as 'architect and sculptor' using an engraving of a Corinthian column capital to illustrate his services (Le Canadien [Quebec City], 9 Nov. 1831, 3, advert.). His workshop may have been the source of many Ionic and Tuscan pilastered doorways on Quebec City buildings which proliferated in the late 1820's and early 1830's. His name may also be linked to the design and execution of furniture, altars and organ cases for churches from Montreal to the lower St. Lawrence River area between 1845 and 1855. Many of these were completed with the assistance of his son Francois X. Berlinguet who trained under his father. Berlinguet Sr. died in Quebec City on 4 October 1863 (death notice Courrier du Canada [Quebec City], 5 Oct. 1863, 3; biog. R. Traquair, Old Architecture of Quebec, 1947, 289-90; G. Morisset, l'architecture en Nouvelle-France, 1949, 128; inf. A.J.H. Richardson, Ottawa).

NICOLET, QUE., entrance doors to the Roman Catholic Seminary, 1827-31(J.A Douville, Histoire de College - Seminaire de Nicolet 1803-1903, 1904, 158)
(with Thomas Baillairge) QUEBEC CITY, QUE., Parliament House, for the National Assembly. Berlinguet built the centre section containing the Assembly Hall, and may have contributed to the design of this portion of the building, 1830-36 (L. Maitland, Neoclassical Architecture in Canada, 1984, 43, illus.)
CACOUNA, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1841-48 (A.J.H. Richardson, Quebec City: Architects, Artisans and Builders, 1984, 154, illus.)
NAPIERVILLE, QUE., Eglise St. Remi, c. 1845 (A.J.H. Richardson, Quebec City: Architects, Artisans and Builders, 1984, 155-6, illus.)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., Eglise St. Roch, St. Joseph Street, interior decoration of the church designed by Thomas Baillairge, 1848-51; demol. 1914 (Journal de Quebec [Quebec City], 19 Nov. 1850, 2, descrip.; L. Noppen et al, Quebec - trois siecles d'architecture, 1979, 187, illus.)
ILE d'ORLEANS, QUE., west facade and extension to Eglise St. Jean, 1852 (R.A.I.C. Journal, vi, June 1929, 223, 229, 232, illus.; A.J.H. Richardson, Quebec City: Architects, Artisans and Builders, 1984, 157-8, illus.)