733 Jefferson Ave Historic Survey

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Resource Number: 5BL 11301 Temporary Resource Number: 157508427002 Lafayette Supply Co. In 1906 and 1908, he is listed as being a "merchant" and engaged in "general merchandise." The 1909 directory gives his line of business as "groceries and shoes." Records indicate that at the time of the 1910 census, John Jr. lived with his wife and two children in California, but by 1916, they were back in Louisville. In 1916, he had a "notions" business on the west side of the 800 block of Main Street, and by 1918, he and his family were living very close to his parents and brother Lawrence, at 255 Jefferson, which today would likely be 700 Spruce (5BL11318). They are listed in the directories from 1918 to 1923 as living there. They then moved to the house that has the current address of 741 Grant, also located very close by, John M. Stoiber was the city treasurer in at least 1921. He also worked as a janitor. He died in 1944. Meanwhile, the Stoibers' second son, Lawrence, continued to live with his parents at 733 Jefferson while working in Louisville. He served in the Navy during World War I. In Louisville, he worked as a miner until the mid 1920s, when he is listed as working at different times as a clerk for Lawrence Mossoni, Roy Austin, and his brother, John M. Stoiber, all of whom had Main Street businesses. By the late 1920s, he and his father had a billiards hall on Main Street. In 1930, he married his wife, Wilhelmina, and the two of them lived at 733 Jefferson for a time after they were married. The 1935 directory lists Lawrence Stoiber as operating a "tavern" in Louisville. The Louisville Historical Museum has in its collection a menu from "Stibe's Tavern" that is believed to come from this business, particularly as Lawrence's nickname was "Stibe," as indicated in his obituary. The somewhat plain menu includes such items as beer (by the bottle or "on draught"), cold sandwiches and a few simple hot sandwiches, chili, tamales, vegetable soup, and pie. The business may have evolved out of the billiards hall that Lawrence Stoiber had, previous to 1935, on Main Street. More research is needed in order to uncover the exact location of Stibe's Tavern. In around 1935, Lawrence Stoiber became associated with the Canon Park Liquor Store in west Boulder. Lawrence and Wilhelmina Stoiber then lived in Boulder. Lawrence Stoiber died in 1970. In 1944, at the time of the death of Mary Stoiber, the house at 733 Jefferson was sold to Joseph Garcia. He was born in Mexico and worked as a coal miner in Louisville, while Mary Garcia was from New Mexico. Their daughter, Eleanor, was born in the house in 1946 with Louisville's Dr. Lucius Cassidy in attendance. Joe Garcia owned the house until 1951. In 1951, Albert and Elizabeth Varra purchased 733 Jefferson. They rented it to Awra Park (1898-1989) and Alberta Ferguson Thirlaway Park (1900-1986) for many years. Louisville directories show the Parks as living at 733 Jefferson through the 1950s and to at least 1966, which is the date of last residential directory currently on file at the Louisville Historical Museum. Alberta's grandmother, Jane Ferguson, was associated with 705 Jefferson (5BL11294) in Jefferson Place, and other Ferguson relatives lived nearby as well. Alberta Park's first husband, William Thirlaway, died in 1932. (The Thirlaway family was also associated with Jefferson Place.) Alberta and William had had six children. She married Awra Park in 1937. Awra worked as a miner and was employed at Denver Fire Clay. In 1974, 733 Jefferson was conveyed by the Varra estate to Sharon Romano Patterson and George Patterson, then to Ernest and Dolores Sica in 1975. In 1977, it was sold to Louisville's United Methodist Church, which is located next door to the north, at 741 Jefferson (5BL924). Between 1977 and 1994 the building was used as a parsonage and church offices. In 1994 it was remodeled and converted to a day care center, then in 2003 it was converted to a pre -kindergarten and kindergarten Montessori school. Today, the Church is still on record as being the owner of 733 Jefferson, and the building is operated as a preschool called the Jefferson Street Preschool. Other addresses found for 733 Jefferson, under Louisville's old address system, were 236 Jefferson, for many years, and 245 Jefferson (in 1940). 36. Sources of information: Boulder County "Real Estate Appraisal Card — Urban Master," on file at the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder County Clerk & Recorder's Office and Assessor's Office public records, accessed through http://recorder.bouldercounty.org. Directories of Louisville residents and businesses on file at the Louisville Historical Museum. 4