National and State Register
M.J. Lavina Robidoux House
Adams County
The 1913 M. J. Lavina Robidoux House is architecturally significant as an excellent and well-preserved example of the Craftsman style.
The city of Aurora has very few examples of Craftsman brick bungalows, making this house particularly significant. Representative of the Craftsman architectural style, the one-and-a-half-story Robidoux House has a cross-gabled roof with full-width front porch supported by massive columns, large triangular knee braces supporting broad eaves, decorative exterior brickwork patterning, and original leaded-glass and stained-glass windows. Character-defining architectural features on the prominent front porch include chevron-patterned brickwork at the gable end, and original gable-end windows with elaborate brick surrounds of alternating light and dark brickwork. The two gable-end windows are topped with radiating voussoirs in alternating light and dark brick. The 1,630-square-foot Robidoux House is remarkable for its use of decorative exterior brickwork, custom-made stained glass windows, and interior quarter-sawn oak built-in furnishings and detailed wood trim. Most notably, the house retains all of its original light fixtures, brass hardware, windows, and original exterior wrought-iron fencing. The house sits on its original lot and retains a high degree of architectural integrity as demonstrated by the lack of changes or alterations over time.