620 Jefferson Ave Historic Survey

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Resource Number: 5BL 11292 Temporary Resource Number: 157508435005 Orahood conveyed 620 Jefferson to August LeComte by a deed that was recorded in 1905. Orahood also conveyed 612 Jefferson (5BL11288)to August LeComte by a deed that was recorded on the same day. Boulder County gives 1900 as the year of construction for this property. Although the dates given by Boulder County have sometimes been found to be in error with respect to historic buildings in Louisville, for this particular house there was no other evidence found that could help prove or disprove this date. The property in question is outside of the boundaries of the Sanborn Maps that were done for Louisville in 1893, 1900, and 1908 (they focused on the downtown business district and La Farge Avenue only). The house does appear in the correct location on the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map of Louisville. Information about August LeComte Sr. and his family can be found in the report for 612 Jefferson (5BL11288), where the family made its home for many years. In 1906, August LeComte Sr. conveyed 620 Jefferson to Louise Kilhoffer. Genealogical records show that Louise Kilhoffer was the sister of LeComte's son-in-law, Leonard, who was married to LeComte's daughter, Julia. LeComte retained ownership of 612 Jefferson next door. Louise Kilhoffer had a unique and colorful personal history, and had other connections to Jefferson Place. Born Louise Wattelet in France, she came to the US at the age of about 10, lived in Superior, and married Julian Gradel of Louisville at the age of about 15. He was the Louisville town clerk, a town council member, justice of the peace, and water commissioner. They resided at 738 Jefferson (5BL858), just one block from 620 Jefferson, and had three children. They divorced in 1899. Historical records indicate that two of the children stayed with their father, while Louise took the baby. She married again to Joseph Kilhoffer, was widowed when he was killed in a coal mine accident, and later married a third time to Alex Lorenzi, with whom she was caught running a bootlegging operation during Prohibition. More information about Louise Kilhoffer can be found in the report for 738 Jefferson. Evidence that Louise Kilhoffer actually resided at 620 Jefferson during her period of ownership could not be located. It is possible that she purchased the house to be near her older children who were living at 738 Jefferson following her divorce from Julian Gradel, even if she may have later rented out the house. One such family that appears to have rented the house during her ownership, according to the 1916 Louisville directory was the Madonna family (James and Aldovina). Records indicate that Albert Gredler purchased 620 Jefferson from Louise Kilhoffer in 1921. This was the year following the 1920 Interurban Train Wreck in which many Louisville residents were killed or injured, including Gredler, who suffered a fractured clavicle and ribs in the accident. Louisville directories and census records show that Albert Gredler (sometimes written as "Gridler") was living at 620 Jefferson from 1921 until at least 1930. The address at the time was 127 Jefferson. Gredler was born in Austria in 1868 and came to the US in 1880-83, according to census records. He worked as a coal miner. He had been married to Laura Gredler and they were divorced sometime after 1920. It is very possible that his purchase of this house in about 1921 was related to the separation or divorce from his wife. The Boulder County online property records show that Boulder County owned 620 Jefferson from about 1930 to 1938. It is possible that Gredler lost ownership of the house during the Depression. The owner and resident of 620 Jefferson for many years was Edward Gibbs, starting by 1938. In 2004, a previous resident of Louisville named William Trebing who had grown up at 561 Jefferson during the 1940s recalled that Gibbs had some small houses across the street that he rented out. Indeed, the parcel at 620 Jefferson includes not only the main house, 620 Jefferson itself, but also two other buildings that were previously known as 614 and 616 Jefferson. The County Assessor cards for this property indicate that a fourth small building, 618 Jefferson, burned down in 1982. It appears that the addresses have been re-assigned. The secondary residences/cabins currently on the site have addresses of 616 and 618. There is no 614. The 1950 Boulder County assessor photo identified as 616 does not resemble any of the extant cabins. 4