Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2014 12 15

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Information from Historian Bridget Bacon This home was built by Fred Nesbit, Sr. for himself and his family. It was the home of members of the Nesbit family for over fifty years. Nesbit was a prominent coal mine operator who moved to 1024 Jefferson from a house at the Old Centennial Mine, which he operated. In both locations, he lived near the coal miners who worked in the mines that he owned and operated. The home, though resembling others in the neighborhood on the outside, seems to have had some extra amenities that were unusual for most Louisville houses. Nesbit Family, Owners 1930 -1981 Fred Nesbit, Sr. was a particularly prominent resident of Louisville. While living among coal miners, he was in fact the owner of some of the most productive coal mines in the area. In 1931, the Nesbit family moved into Louisville and into their new house at 1024 Jefferson. Fred's next endeavor was to open (in 1936) the "New" Centennial Mine, the mine dump of which can still be seen on the north side of Empire Rd. (Highway 42) just west of 287. The Old and New Centennial Mines were probably the most significant and productive Louisville coal mines of the 1920s to the 1950s. The New Centennial Mine closed in 1952. The Nesbit family also operated the State Mine in Erie. Fred Nesbit, Jr. was a "widely known singer and frequently appeared on Denver radio and TV stations, as well as performing in opera." The owner who had 1024 Jefferson built having been a prominent coal mine operator, this house had amenities that most other houses in Louisville didn't have. For example, it had an indoor bathroom more than twenty years before the town of Louisville was able to pay for a sewage system to be installed, a particularly large two -car garage with both front and back access, and the baby grand piano. 4