804 Walnut St Historic Survey 2013

Home Browse Search

Resource Number: 5BL 8029 Temporary Resource Number: 157508415011 In the 1970s, the foundation, plumbing, electrical wiring and interior wallboard were repaired. Turnbuckles were added to the roof framing. The garage exterior was parged with concrete in the 1970s. The east end of the building was the original residence. Later, the east end was the store and the west end was used as the residence. 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, most of the historic character -defining features have been preserved. 804 Walnut was not constructed initially for use as a single-family residence. It is situated on a long, narrow corner lot and is one of few two-story buildings in Jefferson Place. The building is built nearly to the property lines on both LaFarge and Walnut. 9. Changes in Condition: None. 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 more information about the ownership and use of the building. This building is primarily remembered for having been the Forte grocery store, one of two neighborhood grocery stores on this block of La Farge, and also a residence for the family. The property was owned by the Massaro/Forte family, one of several Italian families living in this block of La Farge, for 47 years. Later, it was the location of the Pillar of Fire Church, one of three churches located on this block. Charles Welch, the developer of Jefferson Place, sold Lot 25 to Bard Vetch (whose name is also given as Bartle Veicht in the County property records) in 1883. In 1890, it was sold to Eufrasina DiGiacomo Massaro. Her husband was Giuseppe Massaro. He appears in the 1892 directory for Louisville (Louisville's first known residential directory), where he is listed as a coal miner. In the 1896 directory, the Massaros are listed as operating a boarding house at what was likely this location. Not only did they not own any other property at the time, according to County property records, but the 1900 census shows them as having two boarders living with them, as noted below in more detail. The County, which has been frequently shown to be mistaken with respect to the date of construction with respect to Louisville buildings, gives 1912 as the year in which the building was constructed. This is clearly in error, as the footprint of the building on the 1908 Sanborn map strongly resembles the footprint of the current building. The building also appears on the 1909 Drumm's Wall Map. Sanborn maps for 1893 and 1900 show a building with a slightly different footprint on this site that would have been the residence and boardinghouse of the Massaro family. Based on this evidence, the 2000 survey report written for 804 Walnut concluded that the building was constructed between 1900 and 1908. It could be speculated that the older house/boardinghouse structure that appears on the 1893 and 1900 Sanborn maps was incorporated into the main building that appears on the 1908 Sanborn map. Eufrasina and Giuseppe Massaro were born in Italy, Eufrasina in 1845 and Giuseppe in 1833. Eufrasina, as a DiGiacomo, may have been related to the DiGiacomo family who settled in the Louisville/Lafayette area. Giuseppe had two brothers who also settled in Colorado. Census records indicate that they came to the U.S. by 1880 or in around 1880. Their daughter, Orazia (Ora) was born in Colorado in 1884. The 1900 federal census shows the following people living together in what appears to be this location (given the presence of La Farge neighbors listed on the same page): Joseph Massaro; his wife, "E.U." Massaro; their daughter, Ora; and two boarders, who were Mick "Washots" and Nick Tomeo, both of whom had been born in Italy. 2