Robinson Farm

I was driving south from Milton on 4th line as I spotted what appeared to be an abandoned home. I didn't recall it being in the database, but I couldn't imagine it not being there, so I made a quick stop to see if it really was abandoned.

I didn't have much time on hand, so I quickly made my way to the house to see. As I walked up to the house it became obvious, it was abandoned or if someone was living here, they shouldn't be. My first step on the front porch & my foot went through it partially. Not all of the porch is like that, just the part closest to the elements. The side door on the north part of the house is much more sound.

I quickly made my way through the house, but as I took things in I was realizing this home had some real history & although it was in rough shape, had been painted over a million times & had some questionable alterations you could see some of the craftsmanship in the house. I found a calendar dated 1986, then another dated 2012??? A newspaper with a April 2013 date??? How long has this place been abandoned? I had to hit the road, so I finished up & headed out but with the thought that I may have to return.

I quickly researched the property & looked at the latest google pictures. The streetview from October 2011 looked completely different than now. Less than 2 years ago, this looked like a legit farm property. From the research I found this was the Robinson Farm & the complex was built in the mid 1800s. I believe the existing house was built somewhere between 1861 & 1871. It is a 1 1/2 story brick farmhouse with a side gable roof & decorative dichromatic brickwork.

The transfer of land is as follows:

100 Acres, SW Half of Lot 6, Concession 5, Trafalgar Township

• Crown sold to John Glover Oct 8, 1828

• John T Howell purchased in March 1833

• Charles Gibson purchased 98 of those acres Sept 1848

• William Robinson bought the 98 acres on April 6, 1855. Robinson, who had immigrated from Tyrone, Ireland, had arrived in the Omagh area c1819. His son Henry Robinson was noted as the owner on the 1858 Tremaine Map, but the actual transfer of 97Acres of land wasn't until Oct 1862.

• Henry Robinson sold the lot with the exception of four acres more or less, to Charles Henry Turner on April 1, 1909.

• Charles Henry and Isabella Turner bought the property in 1935.

• Isabella Turner's estate sold it to her daughters Margaret Lillian Brownridge and step-daughter Abigail Ruth Turner in 1951.

• Maria C. McDowell bought the property in 1959,

• Frederick H. Sheppard and Fred Campitelli bought it in 1972,

• Home developer, Sundial Homes purchased it in 2004 (Mattamy owns a property to the north, I guess you can figure where this is going)

The farm complex is listed with the Town of Milton inventory & is ranked, "Grade A", their top ranking & is defined as "Properties that clearly comply with one or more of the criteria outlined in O.Reg. 9/06 and are therefore worthy of designation under S. 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act". But the town of Milton has allowed the barn & all the outbuildings to be demolished. The south east corner of the original house is fallen apart or was destroyed & there seems to be zero desire or intention to preserve or protect the home.

Milton Heritage's motto is - Our Heritage is our future