1155 Pine Historic Structure Assessment

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DAJDESIGN ARCHITECTURE, INTERIORS 2.0 HISTORY AND USE The following report was written in November 2023 by Gigi Yang of the Louisville Historical Museum. Legal description: TR 696 8-1S-69 (SEC T R TR PT SEC 8 T1S R69W) Year of Construction: circa 1920-25 (see discussion below) Summary: The history of this house is notable for its unusual location inside the "wye" formed by three sets of railroad tracks and the influence of William Lee on the v�development of east Louisville. Additionally, ownership by the Desailly family and later the `— Duran family represent the experiences of French and Hispanic residents, both important and sometimes marginalized communities in Louisville. Neighborhood Context; Development of Neighborhood by William Lee To provide context to the area in which 1155 Pine is located, several houses on the north side of Pine just east of the railroad tracks are in an area in downtown Louisville that was never added to the town as a normal subdivision with lots and blocks. The original reason for this likely goes back to the location of coal mines in the Louisville area and the placement of railroad spurs that left the main tracks to reach these coalmines. The buildings along this stretch of Pine located between the railroad tracks and Highway 42 were historically in an area created by the intersection of three sets of railroad tracks. According to an autobiography entitled From Happy Valley to the Mountaintop (Daniel Publishing, 2002) written by Lee Evans, who was the grandson of William and Ruby Lee, this triangle of land was located within the "wye" of the three sets of connected tracks. According to Lee Evans, the wye was used for turning trains. The north -south railroad line on the left is the main line that still exists. The other two are spurs that served coalmines and are no longer present. Because this area of Pine Street was not platted, the legal descriptions of these properties are not expressed in blocks and lots. Also, the addresses of these properties under Louisville's previous address system appear to have not followed a pattern, making it difficult to use old Louisville directories to identify what families may have lived at 1155 Pine prior to 1940. Charles C. Welch started the first coal mine (the Welch Mine on Empire Road) in the area in 1877. Welch and his family members purchased property in and around original downtown Louisville in anticipation of an influx of workers at the new coalmines. Welch family members owned the Jefferson Place Addition, the Pleasant Hill Subdivision, and a number of downtown lots. Charles Welch's wife, Rebecca Welch owned the area east of the railroad tracks that included the East Louisville subdivision and the unplatted "wye". 1155 PINE ST, PAGE - 6