Schaeffer stands test of time | Northern Rivers News | Local News in Northern Rivers

Graham Orams | 3rd July 2009

The Daily Examiner

MANY surviving buildings in Skinner Street, South Grafton, are 100 years old or more.

A lot of those were designed and built by the same remarkable Grafton builder - Frederick William Conrad Schaeffer, known by the moniker FWC Schaeffer.

Mark Grady owns the old Westpac Bank building in Skinner Street, built in 1909.

Mr Grady bought the building as an investment in 1994. Although empty at the moment, he is preparing to lease it.

“I travel around a fair bit and it's nice to see them still standing,” he said.

“You can't replace them. Once they're gone, they're gone.”

Mr Grady said it was a pity the south side of Grafton had not been promoted a great deal. It had a lot of heritage value to offer, particularly the buildings designed by Schaeffer.

FWC Schaeffer was born in Grafton to German parents in 1858. As a young man he was sent to Germany to complete an architecture degree and returned to Grafton to marry Louisa Lambert in 1881.

Daily Examiner employee Andrew Schaeffer is the great-great grandson of FWC Schaeffer. He said his great-great-grandfather had built many buildings in the early part of the 20th century and was officially Grafton's 'architect of the city' between 1909 and about 1915.

“FWC Schaeffer was renowned as being a skilled architect in Grafton at the turn of the last century,” he said.

“Even today, at least 10 of his buildings are still standing.”

Some of those buildings include Walkers Hotel and the Emporium in South Grafton.

However, FWC Schaeffer's buildings can also be found in Grafton, including Weileys Hotel, the old Methodist Church in Prince Street, the Presbyterian manse (old bishop's house) and Schaeffer House, which is now a museum and research library.

FWC Schaeffer died on November 19, 1928, three weeks short of his 70th birthday.

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