Born in 1849 in Lévis, Quebec, Onésiphore Turgeon first came to New Brunswick as a student, seeking a climate favorable to his delicate health. He finally settled in Petit-Rocher and married an Irish woman, Margaret Eulalia Baldwin, who bore him five children. Margaret died in 1896 at the age of 46. Onésiphore remarried in 1905, to Mary Loretta Meahan.

Mr. Turgeon’s first interest was in education. At the time, the School Act of 1871, which established non-denominational public schools, was in effect. Turgeon remained in the field for only a short time, however, opting instead for commerce and then journalism. Between 1874 and 1896, as a Liberal candidate in federal elections, he suffered five defeats. Finally elected in 1900, Turgeon held his seat for 22 years, even surviving the defeat of the Liberal Party in 1911. In 1921, Mackenzie King’s Liberals regained power, and the following year Turgeon was appointed to the Senate, where he served until his death in 1944 at the age of 95. As a politician, his main hobby was the development of a genuine fishing industry in Gloucester County.

Onésiphore Turgeon purchased this comfortable Victorian-style residence in 1905 for $1,800. Built in 1881, the house was added to the Village historique acadien in 1928. It is a large house with a mansard roof and conventional architecture. In North America, this type of roofing is associated with the Victorian style, which was very popular from 1860 to 1890.

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