Rockhead’s Paradise told by Anne Rockhead

Rockhead’s Paradise told by Anne Rockhead

Rockhead's Paradise

In 1928, Rufus Rockhead purchased the Mountain Hotel at the corner of Mountain and Saint-Antoine, laying the foundation for what would become one of Montreal’s most important cultural venues. Before securing this property, he had tried to buy a building on Bleury and St. Kit’s (St. Catherine Street), but was refused and reminded that “his place was not uptown, but downtown after the tracks.” That rejection reinforced the racial barriers of the time, but it also pushed him toward a choice that aligned more closely with his own vision. Rockhead wanted a club in his own neighbourhood—one that reflected the community he knew, supported local talent, and welcomed people who were often shut out of other venues.

According to his daughter-in-law, Anne Rockhead, the three-storey Mountain Hotel included a tavern and lunch counter on the first floor, a dining room and nightclub on the second, and a hotel on the third. Rockhead transformed the second-floor nightclub into Rockhead’s Paradise, which soon became the heart of the building and a key fixture in Montreal’s nightlife.

Antonio Pierre de Almeida

Pierre de Almeida, Antonio, “Le Rockhead’s Paradise raconte par Anne Rockhead”, MEM. September 9, 2019. Youtube video. https://youtu.be/YWwJ2DoavGQ?list=TLGG1iFdwf04NpMwMzEwMjAyNQ

MEM

September 9th, 2019

MEM

MEM

Video

Anne Rockhead

Centre d’histoire de Montréal

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