617 LaFarge Ave Historic Survey - Laserfiche WebLink

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Resource Number: 5BL7978 Temporary Resource Number: 157508435007 painting; construction of a foundation under the dugout cellar; and corrections to electrical and plumbing code violations. Landscape or special setting description: Jefferson Place Subdivision is a historic residential neighborhood adjacent to downtown Louisville. The subdivision is laid out on a standard urban grid of narrow, deep lots with rear alleys. Houses are built to a fairly consistent setback line along the streets with small front lawns, deep rear yards and mature landscaping. Small, carefully maintained single-family residences predominate. Most of the houses are wood framed, one or one and one-half stories in height, featuring white or light-colored horizontal wood or steel siding, gabled or hipped asphalt shingled roofs and front porches. While many of the houses have been modified over the years, many character -defining features have been preserved. 617 LaFarge is consistent with these patterns and blends well with the scale and character of the neighborhood. The house is set close to the front sidewalk, with a small grass lawn in the front and a stone and concrete walk to the front porch. A large cottonwood tree and a small pine tree flank the front walk. There is a non -historic white wrought iron decorative arch over the walk. The side and rear yards are enclosed by a 6-foot wood privacy fence along the sides. The rear yard is not clearly visible, but appears to be grassy with small trees, shrubs and planter boxes. 9. Changes in Condition: The garage and shed are very dilapidated. 10. Changes to Location or Size Information: None. 11. Changes in Ownership: Same ownership as 2000 inventory form. 12. Other Changes, Additions, or Observations: Further research has yielded new information about the chain of ownership and previous residents of 617 La Farge. 617 La Farge and 609 La Farge (5BL11282) have an intertwined history, having had the same sets of owners for most of their histories. The Leslie family owned these two properties for approximately 28 years, followed by a period of ownership of the two properties by members of the Williams family for 58 years (in the case of 617 La Farge) and 48 years (in the case of 609 La Farge). An interesting aspect of these two properties is that they were part of a trade of real property between the Leslie family and the Williams family, and both families owned and operated the nearby Commercial Hotel at different times. The hotel is no longer extant. To the extent that it is relevant to the history of 617 La Farge, some information about 609 La Farge is also given below. These properties presented some specific challenges for the research of their chains of ownership. Together, they occupy three lots (Lots 7, 8, and 9 of Block 7). Today, 609 La Farge occupies a lot and a half to the south, while 617 La Farge occupies the contiguous lot and a half to the north. However, it was found that these three lots were acquired separately and may have been used in separate ways for the first few decades after Jefferson Place was platted. Sanborn Maps for 1893 and 1900 show one house in the middle of these three lots on Lot 8, while the 1908 Sanborn map and the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map of Louisville both show that house as gone from that location and instead show two houses, one to the south on Lot 9 and one to the north on Lot 7 and part of Lot 8. Also complicating the research is the strong possibility that a warranty deed for one of the lots, Lot 9, was not recorded with the County Recorder's office until years after the date that it was signed. It was additionally found that 609 La Farge for a long time consisted of only Lot 9, and 617 La Farge for a long time consisted of both Lots 7 and 8, until 1972. Based on the evidence in the online property records, it appears that William and Eliza Leslie had acquired Lots 7, 8, and 9 by the late 1890s. (William Leslie's name first appears in a Louisville directory in 1896.) The County gives 1896 as the date of construction for 609 La Farge. As noted above, the Sanborn maps for 1893 and 1900 do not show a house on Lot 9. However, the house that is shown on Lot 8 on these Sanborn maps has a similar footprint as the house that appears as being on Lot 9 on the 1908 Sanborn map and the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map. It could be speculated that William and Eliza Leslie moved their house, which could have been constructed by 1893 as indicated on the 1893 Sanborn map, to the south side of their three lots so that they would have room to construct another house (617 La Farge) to the north. The County gives 1900 as the year of construction for 617 La Farge, which is possible if it was constructed after the 1900 Sanborn map was drawn. Louisville directories show the Leslie family living in this location, although it is not known for certain whether Leslie family members always occupied the houses at both 609 and 617 La Farge, or just one of them. The 1904 directory shows William and "Elsie" Leslie living at "Lafarge btw. Pine & Hutchinson." William Leslie is described as being an 2