801 Spruce St Historic Survey - Laserfiche WebLink

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Resource Number: 5BL 11320 Temporary Resource Number: 157508415008 Source of information: NA 28. Original owner: Peter Fiechtl Sr. Source of information: Property deed 29. Construction history (include description and dates of major additions, alterations, or demolitions): The house was constructed by 1888, and may have been built as early as 1885. The house has not been modified to a great extent. The windows on the south and one of the windows on the west were replaced in the 1950s. Two brick chimneys have been removed since 1948. The enclosed porch on the east side was constructed after 1948. 30. Original location X Moved Date of move(s): V. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 31. Original use(s): Domestic, Single Dwelling 32. Intermediate use(s): N/A 33. Current use(s): Domestic, Single Dwelling 34. Site type(s): Urban residence 35. Historical background: This building is part of Jefferson Place, the first residential subdivision in Louisville. This property was owned by the Fiechtl (pronounced Fee'-tle) family of Austria and Germany for at least 43 years and has a strong connection to 817 Spruce (5BL8027) just to the east, which was also owned by the Fiechtl family. The house at 801 Spruce was also owned by the Zarini family of Italy and has a strong connection to 804 La Farge (5BL7983) just to the north, which was also owned by the Zarini family. It was connected with the family of Hazel Zarini Harris in particular for over 60 years. Leopoldina and Peter Fiechtl Sr. were residents of Louisville by the time of the 1885 Colorado state census, having emigrated from Austria in the early 1880s. Peter Fiechtl was born in 1856 in Austria, while Leopoldina was born in 1858 in Germany. Given this unusual surname, it is often misspelled — for example, as "Fihtl," "Feightle," "Feictil," and "Fiechtle." However, for clarity, this report will refer to the family name as "Fiechtl," which is believed to be the correct and legal spelling for this family's name. Lots 15 and 16 of Block 2 of Jefferson Place include the parcels of both 801 Spruce and 817 Spruce. Peter Fiechtl Sr. purchased Lots 15 and 16 by 1888 from W.A. Willis, who had acquired the lots from Jefferson Place developer Charles Welch in 1883. (W.A. Willis was a Louisville area pioneer and was at one time a Boulder County commissioner.) The deed transferring the property from Welch to Willis in 1883 was not recorded until 1903. The date of the recording of the warranty deed from Willis to Fiechtl was 1888, but it could have been signed and in effect earlier. The 1885 Colorado State Census shows the Fiechtl family in close proximity to others in this section of Jefferson Place, suggesting that they could have been already living on this corner by 1885. A few other transactions relating to this property appear to have taken place in the period of 1898 to 1906, but nothing was found that would alter the basic legal ownership by Peter Fiechtl beginning by 1888 at the latest. In 1888, "M. Ridell" conveyed part of Lot 17 to Peter Fiechtl. Today, 801 Spruce still includes part of Lot 17. Peter Sr. and Leopoldina had two sons, Benedict ("Ben") and Peter Jr. Ben was born in 1881 in Austria and was brought to the US as an infant or small child. Peter Jr. was born in Louisville in 1890. The father and two sons 3