1021 LaFarge Ave History - Laserfiche WebLink

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For purposes of writing a report on the history of 1029 La Farge in 2016, the Museum staff sought to confirm the family story about the three houses having been built for three Di Francia daughters. The Museum staff contacted descendants of the son, Nicholas. They recalled the story and stated that the houses were intended as dowries for three of the daughters. The descendants also supplied the Museum with the married names for the Di Francia daughters. Through additional research by the Museum, evidence was found that backs up the family story. Additional research also appears to answer the question of why Di Francia apparently had houses built for only three of his six daughters. It was found that he also purchased other residential properties in Louisville, including 1034 La Farge across the street. Perhaps his goal was to acquire houses for all six of his daughters, not just three of them. Research in Louisville directories and in census records shows that the only Di Francia daughter who married before the death of E.J. Di Francia in 1918 was the oldest, Margaret, who married Camillo Domenico. The 1916 directory for Louisville indicates that they lived at 1029 La Farge. According to information from Nicholas's grandson, Nicholas and his wife, Mary Fenolia Di Francia, also lived in one of the houses. This would have been prior to Mary's death in 1916. The 1918 Louisville directory also happens to list Nicholas and his second wife, Angelina, as living at an address that would today be 1029 La Farge. Thus, the available evidence suggests that Margaret and Nicholas were the only Di Francia siblings to live in any of the three houses, and that they both lived at 1029 La Farge at different times. A look at census records and directories shows that the three houses were rented out to other families, sometimes for years at a time to one family, before Maria Di Francia sold them in the 1920s. The Di Francia family has also confirmed that they were rented out. The houses would have brought in rental income before the plan could be in place for other Di Francia daughters to marry and live in them. E.J. Di Francia passed away in January 1918. His children were between the ages of about 10 and 27 at the time of his death. His death in 1918 came soon after the beginning of Prohibition in Colorado in 1916. These events placed a financial burden on his widow and their children. His widow had to sell all of the properties in Louisville that he had purchased. Maria sold 1021 La Farge in 1927. Date of Construction The 1948 Boulder County Assessor card for this property is silent on the issue of the date of construction, although a notation dated 1955 on the card states, "House very old." The Boulder County Assessor's Office website typically gives the same date of construction as the Assessor 3