917 Rex Historic Structure Assessment

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DM DESIGN ARCH IT 2.0 HISTORY AND USE The following report was written by Bridget Bacon of the Louisville Historical Museum. 917 Rex St., Louisville, Colorado Legal Description: Lots 18-20, Block 5, Murphy Place Year of Construction: 1936 O�Summary: French families owned this Bungalow -style house located in Louisville's Frenchtown neighborhood `' from the 1930s to the 1960s. History of Murphy Place Subdivision Peter F. Murphy platted the subdivision of Murphy Place in 1907. He did so as President of the Louisville Realty & Securities Company. It became the location of Louisville's Frenchtown neighborhood, described in the lead article of the Spring 2016 issue of the Louisville Historian, "Being French in Louisville," located here: https://www.louisvilleco.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=9908 . Hugo Machin Ownership of Parcel, 1907-1935 In 1907, Louisville Realty & Securities Company sold this parcel (consisting of Lots 18, 19, and 20) to Hugo Machin (1884-1966). Machin lived elsewhere in Louisville and in Boulder, and no evidence was found that would suggest that he built a house on the property. The 1909 Drumm's Wall Map of Louisville does not show a structure on the lots. Warembourg Ownership, 1935-1942; Date of Construction In 1935, Hugo Machin sold the parcel at 917 Rex to Victor Warembourg. (The transcription of his name misspelled it as "Waremsbourg" for this transaction only.) Boulder County gives 1936 as the date of construction for 917 Rex, both on the 1948 Assessor Card and on the Boulder County website. Boulder County has been found to be in error with respect to the date of construction of some Louisville buildings, so other evidence is looked to. In this case, no evidence indicating an earlier construction date could be located. Also, the fact that Victor Warembourg purchased the parcel in 1935 lends support to 1936 as being the likely construction date. For these reasons, the County's date of construction of 1936 is believed to be correct. Victor Warembourg (1886-1979) was born in Pas -de -Calais, France. (Records available on Ancestry.com indicate that he was born in the community of either Lens or Sallaumines in Pas -de -Calais; they are adjacent to one another.) He immigrated to the U.S. and to Boulder County in 1906. He joined relatives in the area, and eventually his parents, siblings, and uncle, aunt, and cousins ended up living in the area. In 1912, he married Orpha Gradel (1897-1926), who had been born in Louisville to French parents. They had a son, then two daughters. At the time of the 1930 census (after Orpha had died and before he purchased the lots at 917 Rex), Victor was living on Rex St. in Frenchtown and raising his two daughters, Orpha and Aime, who were ages 14 and 11. Victor was renting a house, likely either 925 Rex or 943 Rex, both of which were along the same block and side of the street as 917 Rex and both of which his parents owned at the time. 917 REX ST, PAGE - 6