Under the guiding hand of Alexander Solomon Walbridge, the village of Mystic was to become a small industrial centre, very active from 1868 to 1897, where this businessman and inventor built his foundry. Today, just a single astonishing red structure bears witness to the grand past of the Walbridge family and its long-standing influence on the local countryside. This building, with twelve sides and crowned with a very exceptional roof, turns out to be the oldest polygonal barn in Quebec.
The Walbridge Barn has been designated an historic monument by the ministre de la Culture et des Communications du Quebec in June 2004. along with the ancestral home built in 1843 and still lived in by the family, it made up part of an oppulent estate which include a small European-style château, an expensive greenhouse, affectionately called the conservatory, a man-made lake and a small hydro-electric power station which supplied power to all the buildings.
All in all the album is a beautiful example of the kind of music that can arise from mingling cultures and both the awareness of tradition and a willingness to stretch those traditions. David Francey’s musical artistry and turn of phrase mark him as both a remarkable storyteller and musician.
