677 Walnut St Historic Survey - Laserfiche WebLink

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Resource Number: 5BL 11322 Temporary Resource Number: 157508406005 A previous house on this site was built before 1909. It was demolished at an unknown time after 1955. The current house is a modular home that was constructed on the site in 1974. Joe Dravecky relocated the small shed on the property from 510 Main Street in 1974, according to Louisville building permit files. 30. Original location X Moved Date of move(s): The house is in its original location. The shed was moved onto the property in 1974. 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 located in Jefferson Place, the first residential subdivision in Louisville. The history of this property is very closely connected with that of the house next to it, 913 Jefferson (5BL11308). Both have been associated with the Guenzi family for all of their histories and are still owned by Guenzi family members. Historically, there was a different house on this property, probably with a different address. It appears on the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map of Louisville as a long house with the long side facing east on Jefferson. The existing house at 677 Walnut, by contrast, faces south. The original house was the home of Jabez and Mary Dierden and their children, and was in the family from 1890 until 1955. The Dierden family was originally from England. In 1914, the Deirdens' son, George, became the sole owner and resident. George Dierden lived from 1874 until 1956 and did not marry or have children. In 1955, Palmira and Carl Guenzi, who owned and resided at 913 Jefferson, purchased 677 Walnut from George Dierden not long before his death. They are remembered as having demolished the old house, which was in poor condition. For a number of years, it is believed, this parcel was empty and may have served as a side yard for 913 Jefferson. Following the death of Carl Guenzi in 1966, Palmira Guenzi became the sole owner of 677 Walnut, and starting in 1973, the co -owners were Palmira Guenzi and her sister, Julia Guenzi. Julia Guenzi, born in Colorado in 1896, became a teacher and eventually took a Civil Service position. She taught in the Canal Zone for many years. To visit her family in Louisville, she would travel by sea to New York City, then take a train to Denver. A Guenzi family history credits Julia with building 913 Jefferson and with fixing up the basement for her sister, Palmira, to have her beauty shop there. Julia lived at 913 Jefferson with her sister in the summers while she had her Civil Service position as a teacher, and also lived there upon her retirement. The 1959 directory confirms that she began to permanently reside there again by that year. Palmira Guenzi was born in 1904 in Colorado. After their parents died in 1917, she lived with her brother, Fidele. In the 1920s, she attended beauty school and became a hairdresser in Denver. According to the Guenzi family history, she first opened a beauty shop above the garage of a Louisville home. The basement of the house at 913 Jefferson was then used for her beauty shop starting in circa 1936 when the house is believed to have been constructed. Directories show that the beauty shop was in operation there until at least 1949 and possibly later. Palmira and Julia had a sister Josephine, who was born in Colorado in 1899 and married Joseph Dravecky in 1937. In 1974, Palmira Guenzi and Julia Guenzi conveyed 677 Walnut to Josephine's daughter, Jo Louise Michaels, and Jo's husband Norman Michaels. According to Jo Louise Michaels, in 1974, she and her husband had the house at 677 Walnut constructed for her parents, Josephine Guenzi Dravecky and Joseph Dravecky. Boulder County also gives 1974 as the year of construction of this house. 3