Honest comparison: two heritage vacation rentals, same village of Saint-Laurent, Île d'Orléans — 15 minutes from Quebec City
Last updated August 7, 2026.
In brief — Two heritage houses for rent in the same village of Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, 15 minutes from Quebec City — both inside the Site patrimonial de l'Île-d'Orléans (1970) and both carrying cote C in the MRC built-heritage inventory. Bouquet 1831 is a two-level ancestral house (per their official site). La Petite École is a heritage house dated 1839 that adds published documentation — a live Wikidata entity (Q139694775), RPCQ and MRC building records — and local tradition identifies it as the parish's lost "lower school", a hypothesis we document openly. Best rate booking direct.
Quick Answer: Both houses sit on Chemin Royal in Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, 15 minutes from Quebec City, and both carry cote C in the MRC built-heritage inventory. Bouquet 1831 (per their official site): ancestral house built in 1831, two levels, 3 bedrooms, 3 queen beds, 2 bathrooms. La Petite École: heritage house dated 1839, single level, sleeps 6, with published documentation — Wikidata Q139694775, RPCQ and MRC building records — and the most consistent candidate for the parish's lost "lower school", a documented hypothesis, not an established fact. Booking direct at La Petite École gets the best rate — no platform service fees.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Criterion
Bouquet 1831
La Petite École 1839
Building type
Ancestral house, two levels (their official site)
Heritage house dated 1839 (MRC built-heritage inventory); local tradition identifies it as the parish's "lower school" — documented hypothesis
Year built
1831 (their site) — 8 years older
1839 (MRC built-heritage inventory)
Published heritage classification
Cote C in the MRC built-heritage inventory (6874 Chemin Royal, same public list as ours) — not mentioned on their site
Cote C (MRC inventory) + Wikidata Q139694775 + RPCQ building record, published and referenced on our site
Historical documentation
Described on their site as "one of the jewels of our village and its history"; no archival sources cited on their site
MRC inventory + RPCQ record for the building; Turcotte's 1867 parish history (three schools, two identified) grounds our "lower school" hypothesis
The Schoolhouse Question — What We Claim, and What We Don't
La Petite École is a heritage house dated 1839, cote C in the MRC built-heritage inventory, inside the Site patrimonial de l'Île-d'Orléans (a 1970 declaration covering the whole island), with a live Wikidata entity (Q139694775). Local tradition identifies it as the parish's "lower school": Turcotte's 1867 history records three schools in Saint-Laurent, only two of which have ever been identified — and our house stands in the lower (east) part of the parish. We present this as a documented hypothesis, not an established fact, and we are actively looking for proof. Read the full investigation: the lost schoolhouse of Saint-Laurent.
First-hand background: I acquired the property in 2018 and spent two years restoring it (2018-2020) with respect for its original architectural character — the full story is on my owner page.
Who Wins for Each Type of Guest
Couples seeking a distinctive, documented heritage experience: La Petite École. Published documentation, curated vintage interior, and an open historical enigma you can sleep inside.
Groups wanting three real bedrooms with queen beds: Bouquet 1831. Their site publishes 3 bedrooms, 3 queen beds and 2 bathrooms on two levels.
Travelers who care about published heritage documentation: La Petite École. Both houses carry cote C in the MRC inventory, but La Petite École publishes its records: Wikidata Q139694775, RPCQ and MRC building records referenced on our site, and dedicated research pages.
Travelers who want the best rate and a live calendar: La Petite École, booking direct. No platform service fees, and deposits fully refundable up to 5 days before arrival on direct bookings.
Booking Direct vs Platforms
Platform
Cost structure
Airbnb
Rate + platform service fees
Booking.com
Rate + platform commission
petiteecoleorleans.ca direct
Best total rate — no service fees, live calendar
On direct bookings, deposits are fully refundable if you cancel 5 days or more before arrival (no refund after that), and you deal directly with the owner for any question. On Airbnb or Booking, each platform's own terms apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between La Petite École and Bouquet 1831?Both are heritage houses in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, 15 minutes from Quebec City, on Chemin Royal, and both stand inside the Site patrimonial de l'Île-d'Orléans declared in 1970. Bouquet 1831 is a two-level ancestral house built in 1831, per their official site. La Petite École is a heritage house dated 1839 (cote C, MRC built-heritage inventory) with a live Wikidata entity (Q139694775); local tradition identifies it as the parish's "lower school" — a documented hypothesis we present as such, not an established fact.
Which is older — La Petite École or Bouquet 1831?Bouquet 1831 is 8 years older: 1831 per their official site, versus 1839 for La Petite École per the MRC built-heritage inventory. Both stand on Chemin Royal in the same village of Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans.
Which has a published heritage classification?Both houses carry cote C in the MRC Île d'Orléans built-heritage inventory, and both stand inside the Site patrimonial de l'Île-d'Orléans (1970 declaration covering the island). What La Petite École adds is published documentation: a live Wikidata entity (Q139694775), RPCQ and MRC building records referenced on our site, and dedicated research pages. Bouquet 1831's site describes the house as "one of the jewels of our village and its history" without citing heritage records.
How do bedrooms and capacity compare?Bouquet 1831 publishes 3 bedrooms, 3 queen beds and 2 bathrooms on two levels (guest capacity not stated on their site). La Petite École sleeps 6 on a single level: 2 bedrooms, 4 beds plus a baby crib, 1.5 bathrooms.
How does booking work for each house?Bouquet 1831's official site offers an Airbnb link and a direct email contact. La Petite École offers an online direct booking engine with a live calendar — best rate booking direct, no platform service fees — and on direct bookings, deposits are fully refundable if you cancel 5 days or more before arrival. On Airbnb or Booking, each platform's own terms apply.
How do the interiors differ?La Petite École's interior is curated vintage: a working 1957 Underwood typewriter, antique Québec school maps, an 1850-1950 hardcover library, period wood floors and a wood-burning stove. Bouquet 1831's site describes "comfortable and contemporary furnishings" set within old walls. Two different approaches to heritage interiors — distinctive period objects versus contemporary comfort.
Which is closer to the orchards and cider houses?Both are on Chemin Royal in the same village of Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans — access to the island's orchard-and-cider stretch is comparable from either house. Blossom season peaks around mid-May.
Sources for every Bouquet 1831 fact on this page: their official site (locationiledorleans.com), their public Bonjour Québec listing (establishment no. 309037), and — for the cote C classification — the MRC de l'Île-d'Orléans public list of heritage cotes (PIMIQ, August 2018), all consulted August 7, 2026. Anything their site does not publish is marked as such. Our own figures come from our Airbnb listing (checked August 7, 2026), the MRC built-heritage inventory and the RPCQ.
Book La Petite École direct — best rate
Heritage house dated 1839 · cote C MRC · Wikidata Q139694775 · curated vintage interior Book direct — best rate
