CARON, Louis (18471-1917) was the founding father of the Caron architectural family dynasty that doninated the Nicolet region of Quebec for more than a century. He began his career in 1868 as both a designer and builder of residential works in Arthabaskaville; by 1880 he began to accept commissions from the local Roman Catholic diocese. He was a remarkably prolific designer whose name can be linked to more than one hundred and fifty ecclesiastical works in Quebec erected between 1880 and 1910. After 1890 he was assisted by his son Louis Caron Jr. (1871-1926) who was made a partner in the firm of Caron & Son in 1900. Two other sons, Joseph H. Caron (1878-1954) and Jules Caron (1885-1942) continued to work in the profession after the death of their father on 15 June 1917. The practice of L. Caron & Co. was carried on by his son Louis Jr. A detailed biography and list of works by Louis Caron prepared by A. Caron-Dricot was published in 1997 in Les Caron: Une Dynastie d'architectes depuis 1867, 1997, 37-84, 273-80. The Archives Nationales du Quebec at Trois Rivieres holds a major collection of architectural drawings by members of the Caron family.
L. CARON
CHESTERVILLE, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1895; interior decoration, 1898-99
STE. PERPETUE, QUE, Roman Catholic church, 1896-98; interior decoration 1906 P.A. Bergeron, A l'ombre du Clocher, 1960, 83)
ST. HYACINTHE, QUE., College Sacre Coeur, 1900-02; burned 1903; rebuilt by Caron; burned 1914 (L. Voyer, St. Hyacinthe, 1980, 97-8, illus.)
L. CARON & SON
STE. SOPHIE DE LEVRARD, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1901
NICOLET, QUE., St. Raphael Chapel at the Seminary, 1901-03 (J.E. Prince, Le Seminaire de Nicolet: Souvenir des Fetes du Centenaire 1803-1903, 53-7, descrip.)
WENDOVER, QUE., completion of exterior and interior decoration of Eglise St. Cyrille, 1902-04 (La Presse [Montreal], 26 April 1904, 5, illus.)
KINGSEY, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1904
ST. VALERE DE BULSTRODE, QUE, Roman Catholic church, 1904
STONEY POINT, ONT., near Tilbury West, Our Lady of Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, Tecumseh Road, at Comber Sideroad,1905; demol. November 2023 (Andrée Caron-Dricot, Les Caron: Une Dynastie d’architectes Depuis 1867, pub. 1997, p. 276, list of works, including Roman Catholic Church at Stoney Point, Ontario; and Heritage Report by Archaeological Research Associates Ltd., File 2022-0074 (online); inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
ST. EULALIE, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1904; and interior decoration, 1915
NICOLET, QUE., residence for the Roman Catholic Bishop, 1904 (La Presse [Montreal], 2 July 1904, 21, illus.)
GRANTHAM, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1905; and interior decoration, 1920
NICOLET, QUE., St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Cathedral, 1906-10
ST. PIE DE GUIRE, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1906
LACHINE, QUE., Ste. Anne Roman Catholic Convent, Provost Street, 1906-09 (Montreal, Les Couvents, 1984, 288-93, illus.)
NICOLET, QUE., Court House, 1910 (La Presse [Montreal], 10 Aug. 1910, 1, illus.; M. Carter, Early Canadian Court Houses, 1983, 212, illus.)
PRINCEVILLE, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1911
SOREL, QUE., presbytery for Eglise Notre Dame de Sorel, 1912 (La Presse [Montreal], 14 Oct. 1912, 11, illus. & descrip.)
ST. BONAVENTURE, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1913
ST. GERARD MAJELLA, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1913
ST. LOUIS DE BLANDFORD, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1913
ST. SYLVERE, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1915
TINGWICK, QUE., Roman Catholic church, 1916