About the Musée Héritage
The Musée Héritage is a non-profit museum run by an association, recognized as being of territorial interest.
Our History
In the exceptional setting of a building two centuries old, the Musée Héritage welcomes you in the center of Saint-Pierre, in the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, a French territory in North America.
The history of this building begins in the nineteenth century, under the Second Empire.
1862
The earliest notarial deed known to us dates from October 11, 1862, when Mr. François Jacques Mazier bought a plot of land at the corner of rue Bisson and rue St-Louis (today rue Maître Georges Lefèvre and rue Pierre Lespagnol). There he built a brick house made up of a retail store, a storage warehouse, a four-room dwelling with five bedrooms, and two entrance pavilions on the courtyard that gave access to the quai de la Roncière.
1894
In 1894, when the estate of Mr. François J. Mazier was liquidated, Mr. Paul Mazier, then mayor of Saint-Pierre, bought the eastern part of the building (lot no. 1), at the corner of rue Bisson and quai de la Roncière, and Mr. Louis Mazier (son of Mr. François J. Mazier) took the part at the corner of rue Bisson and rue St-Louis (lot no. 2).
1904
In 1904, Mr. Alcide Delmont and Mr. Clément Marc jointly acquired the lot belonging to Mr. Paul Mazier.
1913
In 1913, Mr. Julien Morazé bought this lot and became the owner of the building on the quai de la Roncière.
The J. Morazé & Fils store, quai de la Roncière, old postcard 1920
In 1920, Mr. Julien Morazé became, this time, the owner of the lot belonging to the heirs of François J. Mazier.
1927
In 1927, he decided to enlarge the building by constructing the west wing in place of the two entrance pavilions and the courtyard storage warehouse.
The building seen from the square. Photo: M. Briand et Fils collection 1939
In 1939, Mr. Henri Morazé and his wife Renée Hardy became the owners. Mr. Morazé, a shrewd businessman, made his fortune in the 1930s. He remains an emblematic figure of the archipelago. After his death, the heirs sold the land and the building in 1987.
The building and the neighborhood. Photo: M. Briand et Fils collection 2003
Following the building’s acquisition and fifteen years of restoration, the Musée Héritage opened its doors in 2003.
The Museum’s façade today
Our Mission
The Musée Héritage’s mission is to raise visitors’ awareness of the history of the archipelago. It presents objects that bear witness to the social, economic, and religious evolution of the last two centuries.
As you tour the exhibitions spread over ten rooms, you travel back in time, discovering the history of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, who arrived in Saint Pierre and Miquelon in 1826. See how medicine evolved through a rich collection of medical instruments and pharmacy items, rediscover the atmosphere of a classroom in the days of the certificat d’études (primary school certificate), relive the era of dory fishing, and finally step back into the world of our grandparents and great-grandparents.
The Musée Héritage aims to be a living space and an institution that informs, raises awareness, collects, and preserves the memory of our islands.
