1013 LaFarge Ave History - Laserfiche WebLink

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years ago told the current owners of 1045 La Farge that the three small houses all in a row to the south, consisting of 1013, 1021, and 1029 La Farge, were built by E.J. Di Francia for three of his daughters. Based on observation of the three houses today, they do bear a strong resemblance to one another, are of similar sizes, are set back from the street at similar distances, and appear to have been constructed at around the same time. The three small houses were built on the four lots (Lots 5-8). (By comparison, the houses at 1005 and 1009 La Farge to the south are each situated on two lots and the Di Francia house at 1045 La Farge sits on four lots.) E.J. Di Francia appears to have been living in Louisville by 1891 and opened his first saloon on Front Street at around that time. (The Di Francia name has had such different spellings and usages as DiFrancia, deFrancia, De Francia, Di Franzia, Di Frangia, Di Frangio, DiFrenchy, Francia, and Franzia.) E.J. Di Francia was born in Italy in 1863; he is believed to have come from Castiglione di Carovilli, Isernia, in Italy. He came to the U.S. in 1883 and married Marie Di Domenico, who was a young widow, in 1890. She was born in Italy in 1869 and immigrated in about 1880. Eusebio and Maria Di Francia built their home at 1045 La Farge, just to the north of 1029 La Farge, in circa 1902-04 (though research has not been conducted to verify the accuracy of this estimated construction date). In circa 1904, E.J. Di Francia opened the saloon, Di Francia's, in the historic building that has the address of 740 Front in Louisville and is the current location of the restaurant called 740 Front. E.J. and Maria Di Francia had seven children (one son and six daughters) who grew to adulthood. A photo of the family from the collection of the Louisville Historical Museum, is shown below and was taken in circa 1914. At the rear, left to right, are: Margaret, Nicholas, Rose, and Theresa; in the center is Philomena; and in the front are Caroline, mother Maria, father Eusebio, and Catherine.