928 LaFarge Ave Historic Survey - Laserfiche WebLink

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Resource Number: 5BL 918 Temporary Resource Number: 157508404002 Photo credit: Louisville Times, 8/17/1978 Census records and Louisville directories accurately place the Porta family in this location. Multiple sources in Louisville have stated that Mother Cabrini (1850-1917), who first came to Denver in 1902, would visit Louisville to collect money for her mission in Denver. As she was known to speak very eloquently about the plight of Italian coal miners in Colorado, this is quite believable. This is the home in which Mother Cabrini stayed, according to neighbor and Porta relative Stella Giorzelli, who lived just two doors to the north at 1000 La Farge (5BL8471). Also, 928 La Farge is located less than a block from the site of Louisville's original Catholic Church at the southwest corner of La Farge and Walnut (5BL7994). A 1985 Historic Building Inventory Record for this building states that it was a boarding house for unmarried miners. This was not confirmed through the research done in 2012. However, the building does have many exterior doors, suggesting that it could have served this purpose at some time. During the period of 1939 to 1952, this home was owned by Fred Eberharter. He was the son of Louis and Martha Eberharter and grew up on La Farge in Jefferson Place. He also owned several properties on this block, Block 3, of Jefferson Place, and lived at 801 Walnut (5BL8028, no longer extant) during the 1950s. Paul Boyce (1906-1982) and Martha Boyce (1907-1982) owned 928 La Farge from 1952 until Paul Boyce's death in 1988. (It is believed that they rented 936 La Farge 5BL8002, then called 934 La Farge, in the 1940s, according to Louisville directories.) They also resided here at 928 La Farge while they owned it. The Boyces came to Louisville from Kansas in 1930 or the early 1930s. Paul Boyce was a coal miner who worked at the Centennial Mine, Hi -Way Mine, and Eagle Mine, then became a carpenter after the end of the coal mining era. According to his obituary, he was a member of the United Mine Workers and the Louisville Rod & Gun Club. Paul and Martha's children included Paul Jr., Shirley, and Viola. The current owners found a miner's lunch pail etched with the name of Paul Boyce in the home. A widowed mother, Mary Zado, and her son are also remembered as having been residents, renting for a time. Supporting this, the 1946 Louisville directory shows her as living at 924 La Farge (believed to be 928) at the same time that Paul and Martha Boyce lived at 934 La Farge (believed to be today's 936). In 2009, this home was one of five historic homes on the Louisville Holiday Home Tour organized by the Louisville Historical Commission and Historical Museum. The current owners, Ian and Yevett Karpel, provided the following information at that time. They stated that the oldest part of the house consists of what is now the living room, with the 4