Description of Historic Place

536 Kildare Road is the southerly-most unit in the four-plex commonly known as the "Quadruplex." It is situated on the east side of Kildare Road, north of Wyandotte Street, in the heart of the former Town of Walkerville (a company town founded by distiller Hiram Walker in 1858) now part of central Windsor. The well-preserved two-and-a-half-storey red brick building was constructed for Hiram Walker in 1888 to house employees of his distillery, located some three blocks to the northeast.

It is recognized for its heritage value by City of Windsor By-law 207-2007.

Heritage Value

536 The Quadruplex, built in 1888, is a well-preserved example of the worker housing that Hiram Walker was having built during the Town of Walkerville's formative years. Early tenants were members of the Chater family, one of Walkerville's founding families. By the 1930s the units were being rented to other than Hiram Walker and Sons employees, and in 1955, Unit 536 was sold.

The two-and-a-half-storey red brick (common bond) quadruplex is architecturally significant because it is a very important remnant of the early Walkerville streetscape. The Detroit architectural firm of Mason and Rice likely designed it, as they were the architects of choice of the Walker family during this era. The style can be described as Picturesque Arts and Crafts.

Detroit distiller Hiram Walker founded the former Town of Walkerville in 1858. By the late 1880s the Walkers were developing rental properties for the distillery's employees at all levels. The quadruplex (as well as the companion building to the south, demolished in 1922) is one of his earliest projects and predates the formal incorporation of his real estate development wing, the "Walkerville Land and Building Co." in 1890. The building is located in the heart of early Walkerville, some three blocks southwest of the distillery.

Sources: Building Analysis Form, March 2006; Designation Report, February 1, 2006

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that add to the heritage value of The Quadruplex include its:
- two-and-a-half-storey structure of cut stone foundation
- lateral gable roof with wooden brackets
- steep front gable with finial that ties in with the adjacent unit (# 534)
- shared recessed arched entrance with radiating double brick voussoirs
- wooden entrance stairway leading to a wooden porch and door, also shared
- lancet window with stone cross bar, stone sill, and brick voussoirs to the south of the entranceway
- small oval window with brick surround above the entrance archway
- square ornamental brickwork below gable end on the south facade