The Maison Doucet Hennessy House is one of the oldest, continuously occupied homes in Bathurst, New Brunswick. An imposing white shingled, 2 1/2 story structure with mansard roof, dormers and bay windows it sits atop the highest point of land in the city overlooking Bathurst Harbour, the Basin and Bay of Chaleur and all points east, west, north and south. Originally built circa 1807-1812 by Acadian refugee, Charles Doucet Sr., who received a land grant from King George III, the house was occupied for the first 100 years by the Acadian Doucets and their descendants until it came into the possession of the Irish-Scottish Hennessys in 1916. Located across the street from the historic Holy Family Cemetery (est. 1793) and the Holy Family Church, the house has been an integral part of Bathurst’s landscape for more than 200 years. The Association Maison Doucet Hennessy House was established in 2012 to preserve and maintain this historic building and the transform it into a community cultural centre. From 2020-2023, the building underwent extensive repairs to the original stone foundation. Its floors were reinforced and attic strengthened in order to take on a greater weight bearing load. A new front entrance was built and work was done to improve site drainage. The house is currently being painted and landscaped. In September 2024, we enter Phase 2 of construction with the installation of new electrical and plumbing, division of rooms with new wall partitions and the construction of a wheelchair accessible bathroom. We are also making improvements to the original dirt floor in the cellar to reduce moisture accumulation.
The Maison Doucet Hennessy House is a cherished local historic site built by Charles Doucet, an enterprising Acadian refugee whose family established the first permanent European settlement at Nepisiguit (present-day Bathurst, New Brunswick) in 1781.
The original homestead was built circa 1812 on a King George III land grant. Subsequent generations of Doucets raised and expanded the house to what we see today, a large, 2 1/2 story structure with stone foundation, mansard roof, windows, dormers and shingles. A staircase at the entry and framed window treatment around the front door and vestibule give this house a distinctive, stately appearance.
In the early 1900s, the house and 200 acres passed on to the Irish-Scottish Hennessys, who have a compelling immigrant story to tell of their own. Known locally as the Doucet Hennessy House, the building stands
