804 Walnut St Historic Survey 2013

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Resource Number: 5BL 8029 Temporary Resource Number: 157508415011 Michael Forte was born in Pastena, Province of Frosinone, Italy in 1872. He came to the U.S. in 1892 and to Louisville in 1902. According to a written Forte family history, Michael Forte boarded with the Massaro family and fell in love with Orazia Massaro. Ora Massaro and Michael Forte married in 1903, and he continued to live with the family. The following is the wedding photo of Michael and Ora Forte: The 1904 directory is the first Louisville residential directory that gives location information of residences. It lists Joseph and Mary "Mazaro" as well as Mike and Ora Forte, as living at "Lafarge & Walnut," which is a correct description of the location of 804 Walnut. Both men were stated to be miners. In 1905, Eufrasina Massaro conveyed this property to her son-in-law, Michael Forte. The earliest record of Michael Forte having a grocery store appears in a 1908 Louisville business directory, and the store is described as selling groceries, shoes, dry goods, and cigars. Forte's store continues to appear in business directories for Louisville continuously until the early 1930s. The Forte family also lived in the house at 804 Walnut until around 1915 (the year in which Giuseppe Massaro died), which is when Michael and Orazia Forte purchased the house across the street to the north, 801 Walnut (5BL8028) , and the family moved there. Two photos taken in the early 1900s show the Forte grocery store in the background. These were taken from the Wolfer family house that stood at 901 Main Street, looking west on Walnut. Some writing can be seen on the north side of the building, perhaps advertising for the store that could be seen from Main Street: 3