Description of Historic Place

The Robinson-Schafer House, located at 15024 Hurontario Street, is on the northwest corner of Hurontario Street and Boston Mills Road in the Town of Caledon. The two storey red brick house was constructed circa 1870-1880.

The property was designated by the Town of Caledon in 1989 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 89-23).

Heritage Value

The Robinson-Schafer House is associated with Dr. Charles Robinson, who had a successful medical practice in the village of Claude, a nineteenth century community at the corner of what is now Hurontario Street and Boston Mills Road. Robinson's parents had immigrated to Canada from Great Britain in 1830 and settled in the Township of Chinguacousy. The Robinson family was among the area's first settlers. Dr. Robinson was born in the village of Claude in 1835. He received his medical license from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Upper Canada, and set up his practice in Claude in 1862. He later furthered his medical education with a course at Jefferson Medical College, and in 1872 visited hospitals in Western Europe. Robinson operated his successful medical practice out of the house. As his practice expanded he also became the first local coroner.

The Robinson-Schafer House, built circa 1870s-1880s, is a good representation of a mid-Victorian residence. The two storey red brick house features three projecting frontispieces, decorative polychromatic brickwork and buff coloured quoins. The southern frontispiece is an early addition, complimentary in design to the main house. The residence has a medium hip roof with three cross gables (frontispieces), and a fieldstone foundation. The building also boasts various window configurations including six-over-six, two-over-two and one-over-one paned windows complemented by radiating voussoirs in buff coloured brick. The principal doorway, located in the southern frontispiece, has a multi-paned transom and sidelights.

Source: Town of Caledon By-law 89-23.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Robinson-Schafer include its:
- two storey red brick exterior
- medium hip roof with three cross gables on east facade
- three projecting frontispieces
- decorative polychromatic brickwork
- buff coloured quoins
- six-over-six paned windows
- two-over-two paned windows
- one-over-one paned windows
- radiating voussoirs in buff coloured brick
- multi-paned transom and sidelights at principal doorway