CLOHECY, Robert (1839-1918), son of John & Mary (Henley) Clohecy, both natives of Ireland, was born in Hamilton and spent his entire career there. He apprenticed as a carpenter's assistant and gained much practical knowledge of the building trades while working for George Murison Co., Builders in 1867-68. He continued to work as carpenter, often in collaboration with his brother Thomas, until 1882 when he began to style himself as an architect. He possessed no formal university education in the subject of architecture or engineering, and it is unclear if he received any training from a local architect in the Hamilton area. Much of his career was devoted to serving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Hamilton, who entrusted him with commissions for churches, schools, convents and hospitals throughout the region. At the time of his death he was lauded as '....the architect who drew the plans for all of Hamilton's Catholic churches, except St. Mary's and St. Patrick's, and nearly all of the separate schools in the city'. He remained active until 1914 and died in Hamilton on 3 January 1918 (obit. Hamilton Herald, 4 Jan. 1918, 19; Contract Record [Toronto], xxxii, 16 Jan. 1918, 51; biog. M.G. Bixby, Industries of Canada - Hamilton, 1886, 59; Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, 1991, ii, 32)
Robert CLOHECY (Residential works in Hamilton)
WILSON STREET, six houses for an unnamed client, 1888 (Spectator [Hamilton], 27 March 1888, 4, t.c.)
FLORENCE STREET, three detached houses for an unnamed client, 1888 (Spectator [Hamilton], 29 Aug. 1888, 4, t.c.)
GRANT AVENUE, near Main Street East, residence for Robert Clohecy, architect, at 32 Grant Avenue, 1892; still standing in 2024 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 13 June 1892, 3; inf. Robert Hamilton)
GRANT AVENUE SOUTH, near King Street East, two identical detached houses at 80 and 82 Grant Avenue South, 1895; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 12 March 1895, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
EMERALD STREET SOUTH, a large 3 storey residence for Samuel Chapman, 1895; still standing in 2023 at 20 Emerald Street South (Evening Times [Hamilton], 9 Aug. 1895, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
EMERALD STREET SOUTH, at Cannon Street, pair of 3 storey semi-detached houses for James Y. Bews and W.D. Bews, 1897; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 28 April 1897, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ERIE AVENUE, residence for William Hallisey, 1897 (C.R., viii, 15 July 1897, 2)
WELLINGTON STREET SOUTH, residence for Bryan Cauley, 1898 (C.R., ix, 26 Oct. 1898, 2)
MacNAB STREET NORTH, near Mulberry Street, residence for John Sullivan, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 29 June 1905, 12; C.R., xvi, 5 July 1905, 5; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ASHLEY STREET, at Wilson Street, residence for Mrs. Ellen Shaughnessy, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 26 June 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
CENTURY STREET, east of Ashley Street, another residence for Mrs. Ellen Shaughnessy, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 26 June 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
FAIRHOLT ROAD SOUTH, near Main Street East, residence for Gerald P. Mullens, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 29 Sept. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
NAPIER STREET, near Peel Street, residence for James Lynch, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 25 Oct. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
CATHARINE STREET NORTH, near Cannon Street East, residence for John J. Bucke, 1907; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 7 Aug. 1907, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
INCHBURY STREET [now called Catharine Street North], near Cannon Street East, residence for William H. Buscombe, 1907; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 7 Aug. 1907, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
HOLTON AVENUE SOUTH, near King Street East, residence for James Davidson, 1908; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 25 June 1908, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
Robert CLOHECY (Institutional & Ecclesiastical works in Hamilton)
ST. LAWRENCE ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, John Street North at Ferrie Street, 1885 (Spectator [Hamilton], 27 July 1885, 4, t.c.)
HOLY SEPULCHRE ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY, York Street, mortuary chapel and vault, 1889; entrance gates, and a residence for the sexton, 1899 (Spectator [Hamilton], 8 July 1889, 4, t.c.; C.R., x, 24 May 1899, 4; Evening Times (Hamilton), 6 May 1899, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. THOMAS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Smith Avenue, 1889 (Spectator [Hamilton], 24 July 1889, 4, t.c.)
ST. LAWRENCE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Picton Street East at Mary Street, 1890; and presbytery facing Mary Street, 1898; both church and presbytery still standing in 2022 (Catholic Record [London], 29 Nov. 1890, 1, descrip.; Spectator [Hamilton], 11 June 1898, 8, t.c.; Evening Times (Hamilton), 11 June 1898, 8; and 18 June 1898, 8; C.R., ix, 15 June 1898, 3, t.c.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH, presbytery, Mulberry Street, 1890 (Catholic Record [London], 15 Nov. 1890, 1, descrip.)
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Mulberry Street, 1890 (C.A.B., iii, Feb. 1890, 24; C.R., vol. 1, 5 April 1890, 3, t.c.; Catholic Record [London], 31 Jan. 1891, 1, descrip.)
LORETTO ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT, King Street at Ray Street, major addition and alterations, 1892 ( Evening Times (Hamilton), 29 Sept. 1892, 8, t.c.; C.R., iii, 1 Oct. 1892, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Locke Street at Herkimer Street, 1893-94 (C.R., iv, 13 July 1893, 2; Evening Times (Hamilton), 26 June 1894, 3, descrip.; Catholic Register [Toronto], 5 July 1894, 6, descrip.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT, Park Street at Colborne Street, major addition and alterations, 1893 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 24 June 1893, 8, t.c.; C.R., iv, 29 June 1893, 2, t.c. inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC HOSPITAL, John Street North, major 3 storey addition, 1894; demol. (Evening Times (Hamilton), 5 May 1894, 8, t.c.; and 11 Dec. 1894, 5, detailed architectural description; C.R., v, 10 May 1894, 2; inf. Robert Hamilton)
DE LA SALLE INSTITUTE, alterations, 1896 (C.R., vii, 23 July 1896, 2, t.c.)
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL, Sheaffe Street at Park Street North, installation of two large stained glass windows, and interior alterations, 1899 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 13 April 1899, 5; C.R., x, 12 April 1899, 3; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. ANNE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, with School, Convent, Chapel & Presbytery, Sherman Avenue North at Barton Street, 1905-06 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 17 March 1905, 1, descrip.; C.R., xv, 22 March 1905, 6; C.A.B., xix, June 1906, 93; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. PATRICK'S PARISH, presbytery for the Roman Catholic Church, Main Street East, and facing Victoria Avenue South, 1906; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 30 June 1906, 8; C.A.B., xix, June 1906, 93; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. ANN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Sherman Avenue North near Barton Street East, 1908; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 26 June 1908, 12, t.c.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. ANN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Sherman Avenue North near Barton Street East, 1913, perhaps an addition to the School noted above in 1908 (C.R., xxvii, 28 May 1913, 68)
Robert CLOHECY (Commercial & Industrial works in Hamilton)
BROWN & BOGGS TOOLS CO., Victoria Avenue North at King William Street, addition to the foundry, 1898; moulding shop, 1899; warehouse 1909-10; all demol. (Evening Times (Hamilton), 16 April 1898, 8; and 21 Dec. 1909, 10, t.c.; C.R., ix, 20 April 1898, 3; x, 12 April 1899, 3; Spectator [Hamilton], 12 Nov. 1900, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
WENTWORTH STREET NORTH, at Wilson Street, tailor shop for Gordon W. Gordon, 1902; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 5 Nov. 1902, 1; C.R., xiii, 12 Nov. 1902, 2; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. CLARE APARTMENTS, King Street at East Avenue, a three storey commercial block of six stores and apartments, 1912; still standing in 2022 (C.R., xxvi, 10 Jan. 1912, 29, illus. in advert.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ST. ANN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Sherman Avenue North near Barton Street East, 1913, perhaps an addition to the School noted above in 1908 (C.R., xxvii, 28 May 1913, 68)
Robert CLOHECY (works elsewhere in Ontario)
DUNDAS, ONT., St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, Sydenham Street at Melville Street, 1863-64; still standing in 2023 (Canadian Freeman [Toronto], 25 June 1863, 2, descrip.)
MOUNT FOREST, ONT., St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Parkside Drive at Queen Street East, 1864-65; later replaced by a new church by Robert Clohecy in 1882; church damaged by fire 1902; rebuilt in 1903 [see below] (Weekly Spectator [Hamilton], 2 Feb. 1865, 1, descrip.)
MOUNT FOREST, ONT., St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, 1882 (Irish Canadian [Toronto], 28 Sept. 1882, 1, descrip.; Catholic Record [London], 29 Sept. 1882, 7, descrip.)
DUNDAS, ONT., a new chapel at the House of Providence, 1885 (Hamilton Weekly Spectator, 18 June 1885, 5)
DUNNVILLE, ONT., St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Alder Street West at Pine Street, 1886-87; still standing in 2023 (Daily Expositor [Brantford], 27 May 1887, 4, detailed descrip.; Catholic Record [London], 4 June 1887, 5, descrip.; Souvenir of the Silver Jubilee of St. Michael's Parish, Dunnville, 1911, 5-6, descrip.). A detailed architectural description of this church, credited to Robert Clohecy, was published in 1888 in George M. Rose, Cyclopedia of Canadian Biography, 1888, 248-49; inf. Robert Hamilton)
GUELPH, ONT., St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Hospital, 1894-95 ( Evening Times (Hamilton), 16 June 1894, 8; and 20 June 1894, 8, t.c.; C.R., v, 28 June 1894, 1, t.c.; Guelph Daily Mercury, 16 Oct. 1895, 1 & 4, descrip.; Catholic Record [London], 26 Oct. 1895, 5, descrip.; inf. Robert Hamilton, of Hamilton, Ont.)
BRANTFORD, ONT., St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Colborne Street East, 1899; and rectory on Palace Street, 1911 (C.R., x, 16 Aug. 1899, 2, t.c.; Expositor [Brantford], 19 Oct. 1899, 12, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xxv, 26 July 1911, 61)
DUNDAS, ONT., rebuilding and reconstruction of the House of Providence after a fire in September 1900, built 1901-02 (Hamilton Spectator, 20 Feb. 1901, 7, illus. & descrip.; Catholic Register [Toronto], 21 Feb. 1901, 1, descrip.; Catholic Record [London], 10 May 1902, 5, illus. & descrip.)
ASHFIELD, ONT. [ST. AUGUSTINE, ONT.], St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Wawanosh Twp., Huron County, 1903 (Catholic Record [London], 9 May 1903, 5, descrip.)
KINGSBRIDGE, ONT., St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 1903 (Clinton New Era, 11 Sept. 1903, 1, detailed descrip.)
BRANTFORD, ONT., St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Convent, 1911 (Brantford Daily Expositor, 8 June 1911, 2, t.c.; C.R., xxv, 14 June 1911, 58)
PARIS, ONT., Roman Catholic Separate School, 1912 (Brantford Daily Expositor, 31 Aug. 1912, 5, illus. & descrip.)