Description of Historic Place

The Stauffer Log House is located at 393 Tilt Drive on the west side of the street, north of Stauffer Drive, in the City of Kitchener. The one-and-a-half-storey log house was constructed circa 1815.

The property was designated by the City of Kitchener in 2003 for its heritage value, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 2003-39).

Heritage Value

The Stauffer Log House is associated with Abram Stauffer who was one of Kitchener's first pioneers. Stauffer came to the Doon area from Pennsylvania in 1805 and in 1815 acquired the land on which the log house is located. Stauffer established a pail factory and a sawmill on Schneider's Creek by 1834.

The Stauffer Log House is a simple log house built circa 1815. The symmetrical rectangular plan was created with square logs and chinking. The upper storey of the house is believed to have been added circa 1845, as the horizontal log construction does not extend into the gable ends. The facade has a small central gable with a Carpenter's Gothic style window. The roofline has a partial frieze and overall the house retains its typical simplistic ornamentation. Original 12 over 12 windows remain in the west, north and south elevations.

Source: City of Kitchener By-law 2003-39.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Stauffer Log House include its:
- one-and-a-half-storey square log construction
- gable roof with central gable on the front
- fieldstone foundation
- rectangular, symmetrical plan
- fieldstone cellar entrance with flat roof
- gable ends clad in vertical boards and asphalt shingles
- one over six lancet window
- original 12 over 12 windows
- symmetrical window arrangement
- two corbel capped interior end red brick chimneys
- partial frieze