Martlet House

Montreal, Canada, Canada

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Martlet House, located at 1430 Peel Street in downtown Montreal, Canada, is a Scottish baronial style building designed by architect David Jerome Spence and completed in 1928.

Originally known as Seagram House, it was built as the headquarters for the Seagram Company, a famous whiskey distiller. The building was modeled after a 16th-century Scottish castle, with a limestone façade, portcullis, and elements reflecting medieval European architecture.

Over the years, it underwent several additions and renovations in 1931, 1947, and 1955. In 2004, the building was donated to McGill University and renamed Martlet House after the three flying martlets on the university’s coat of arms. It now houses McGill’s Development and Alumni Relations department.

The interior retains much of its original wood paneling, stained glass windows, and historical office furnishings, including the office of late Seagram president Sam Bronfman. The building is considered a heritage landmark symbolizing Montreal’s business history and the legacy of the Bronfman family.​