Bank of Montreal Head Office, Montreal

The Bank of Montreal's Head Office is located on Saint Jacques Street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, across the Place d'Armes from the Notre-Dame Basilica in the Old Montreal neighbourhood. The Bank of Montreal is the oldest bank in Canada, founded in 1817. Although it still remains the bank's legal headquarters, its operational head office was moved to First Canadian Place in Toronto in 1977 due to political instability in Quebec.

This article is about the Head Office on Saint Jacques Street. For the National Historic Site on Notre Dame Street, see Bank of Montreal National Historic Site.
Bank of Montreal Head Office, Montreal
Bank of Montreal's main Montreal branch at Place d'Armes in Old Montreal
General information
Address119, rue Saint-Jacques
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 1L6
Coordinates45.5049°N 73.5579°W / 45.5049; -73.5579
Current tenantsBank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal Museum
Completed1847
Technical details
Floor count1
Design and construction
ArchitectJohn Wells
Architecture firmMcKim, Mead & White

The centrepiece of the complex is the Bank of Montreal Main Branch, a Pantheon-like building built by John Wells in 1847. The building was inspired by the design of the former headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.[1]

The building is in neoclassical style. The sculpted pediment of the building was done by Sir John Steell. Enlargements to the building were made in 1901–1905 by the New York City firm of McKim, Mead & White.[2]

Bank of Montreal Museum

The Bank of Montreal Museum features exhibits about the history of the bank, including a 19th-century teller's window, photos, coins and banknotes, cheques and mechanical piggybanks. The displays are located in the passage between the old building and the current head office. The museum is open during regular bank hours and admission is free.[3]

  • Bank of Montreal under construction (1859)
  • Bank of Montreal main Montreal branch ca. 1909
  • Bank of Montreal main Montreal branch
  • Bank of Montreal main Montreal branch
  • Bank of Montreal main Montreal branch

See also

Other bank buildings in Montreal:

Other BMO buildings:

References
  1. Epstein, Clarence. "John Wells". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. Rue Saint-Jacques, Old Montreal Web site
  3. "Bank of Montreal Museum". Montreal Tourism. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  • Rémillard, François, Old Montreal — A Walking Tour, Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec, 1992
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