City Council Agenda and Packet 2010 07 06

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histories of sites for demolition review by the HPC(see Exhibit F). Ms. Bacon’sability to search museum and county records and her knowledge of the area allows her to provide information with greataccuracy. Long-term, the City intends to comprehensivelysurvey all of Old Town Louisville using our preservation funds and leveraging some of the SHF and CLG funds. This strategy will allow for the majority of our preservation funds to be used by property owners to preserve their historic resources. This application is similar to one submitted in April 2009, changes include focusing solely on one residential subdivision, the inclusion of a specific list of errors found in surveys from 2000 to help explain why reevaluation is needed, and a more specific look at this subdivision for historic district potential. B.Property or Project HistoryWrite a brief history of the property or project and its relationship to historic preservation.(Limit to600 words or less)This category tells us why thispreservation or archaeological projectis important (0-10 points) The Jefferson Place Subdivision was platted in 1880 and is the oldest residential subdivision in Louisville (plat map is Exhibit C) platted two years after the original town subdivision. The subdivision includes the 600 – 900 blocks of Jefferson Avenue and La Farge Avenue and the 700 blocks of Pine Street, Spruce Street, and Walnut Street. It includes 95 parcels. Construction on most of the parcels dates to 1900 - 1920, with a few existing homes dating to 1896 and 1898. This area, like most of Old Town Louisville, was home to the coal miners of the area, many of them immigrants from Europe, and Italy in particular. The homes were originally likely to have been one- story, wood frame homes that were typically less than 1000 square feet. Over the years many were adapted for additional space, internal plumbing, and modern conveniences, but much of the original architecture is still visible today (see Exhibit D photos). Some historic details of the area include: 833 La Farge was the location of Louisville’s first church, its original Catholic Church. Built in 1884, it served as the St. Louis Church until the new church was dedicated on Grant Avenue in 1942. The old church building was torn down in 1946. An Apostolic Church was built on the site in 1947, and it is this building that has been remodeled to be the private residence on the site today. Several members of the Porta family congregated in homes on the 900 Block of La Farge. Based on conversations with Louisville families, it is believed that Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, better known as Mother Cabrini, visited Louisville in the early 1900s to raise funds for her mission in Denver and that she stayed at one of the Porta residences on this block. Although such a trip has not been documented with primary sources, it is known that Mother Cabrini spoke eloquently and passionately about the struggles of Colorado’s Italian coal miners and had close connections with the Catholic churches in the Denver area. Several homes in the 800 block of La Farge belonged to members of Louisville’s extended Zarini family. The home at 824 La Farge was one of the Zarini homes and is believed to have been the first property purchased by an Italian in Louisville, having been purchased by Joseph Zarini, Sr. in September 1890. At that time, according to members of the Zarini family, La Farge residents obtained drinking water from a ditch that ran along the street. The Biella Home at 825 La Farge, built circa 1885, was the residence of Santino (“Sandy”) and Mary Biella. They operated the Rex Theatre at 817 Main Street (currentlyAlley CatsRestaurant) 48