Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2017 07 05

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Jacoe Store 2.0 HISTORY AND USE The Tomeo family was responsible for the construction of what we now call the Jacoe Store in circa 1905-06. It now has the address of 1001 Main, but before addresses changed in Louisville in about 1939, the address was 510 Second Street. An architectural survey dated 2000 noted that the building has the date of 1903 painted on it, but "[t]he original source of this date is unknown." The 2000 survey itself used the date of circa 1908, based on the date indicated in County records. The County has sometimes been in error with respect to the dates of construction of Louisville buildings, and so other evidence is looked to, particularly in a case like this in which the date of 1903 was painted on the building. There is a lack of evidence that would establish the year of construction as either 1903 or 1908, though the building is shown as standing by the date of the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map of Louisville. The evidence points to "circa 1905.06" as being the estimated time when the store was constructed. Today, the information known about its history is mainly from its use as the Jacoe Store from 1923 until 1958. However, before that, it was the location of the businesses of two Italian shoe cobblers. Achille Filacchione (1885- 1945) is believed to have first appeared in Louisville records in a 1909 directory in which he was identified as being a shoemaker. The following year, the 1910 census records show him and his brother Alfonso Filacchione (1890.1972) living right next to the Tomeo family, which most likely would be at what is now the Jacoe Store. Achille was identified as being a shoemaker, while Alfonso was a coal miner. According to a family history written by Ada Pellillo Bottinelli, her father, John (Giovanni) Pellillo (1884-1971) was encouraged to come to Louisville in 1914 by his cousin, Archie Gabriele, and his friends, Joseph and Florina Perrella, who were from his town of Bagnoli del Trigno, Isernia province, Molise region, Italy and who were all already in Louisville. (The Perrellas were also the aunt and uncle of Achille and Alfonso Filacchione, according to a separate Filacchione family history.) Her family history stated, 'Since he [John] was a skilled shoe maker (taught by his stepfather), he decided to open a shoe repair shop at [a site] occupied later by Jacoe's grocery store and [that] is currently being used as a museum. He and two friends, Archie (Carbone) Gabriele and Alfonso Filacchione, shared a room rented from Michelina Tomeo who lived next door and who also furnished their board. Mrs. Tomeo was widowed, and, as was customary in those days, took in boarders to support her large family." Ada Pellillo Bottinelli also told the Museum staff that her father had his shoe shop in the Jacoe Store. Pellillo later had his store on the first floor of the two-story building next to the Jacoe Store, as shown in the following photo, then in the 800 block of Main Street. `. BRET JOHNSON . ARCHITECTURE Page 5