913 Jefferson Ave Historic Survey

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Resource Number: 5BL 11308 Temporary Resource Number: 157508406004 Julia Guenzi, born in Colorado in 1896, became a teacher and eventually took a Civil Service position. She taught in the Canal Zone for many years. To visit her family in Louisville, she would travel by sea to New York City, then take a train to Denver. A Guenzi family history credits Julia with building 913 Jefferson and with fixing up the basement for her sister, Palmira, to have her beauty shop there. Julia lived at 913 Jefferson with her sister in the summers while she had her Civil Service position as a teacher, and also lived there upon her retirement. The 1959 directory confirms that she began to permanently reside there again by that year. Palmira Guenzi was born in 1904 in Colorado. After their parents died in 1917, she lived with her brother, Fidele. In the 1920s, she attended beauty school and became a hairdresser in Denver. According to the Guenzi family history, she first opened a beauty shop above the garage of a Louisville home. The basement of the house at 913 Jefferson was then used for her beauty shop starting in circa 1936 when the house is believed to have been constructed. Directories show that it was in operation until at least 1949 and possibly later. The following advertisement for the De Luxe Beauty Shop is from the 1935 Louisville directory: 43 F4•4 t»T»F-I+FH 4 1 Hi I»I 4-44-4 +: -1444I+++- DE LUXE ¶Efl UTY SHOP Permanents Finger Waving Marcelling — MANICURING — SCALP TREATMENTS — FACIALS — HAIRCUTTING — BLOCKI COSMETICS— =REASONBLE PRICES PALMYRA GUENZI Phone Louisville 66-J Louisville, Colo. A'rA :»'rii •c3<rb P E»S1**H� ��» Iir 2 II:',:ed++++4III:4 In 1937, Josephine Guenzi married Joseph Dravecky, a Louisville miner and farmer. They later operated Dravecky's service station on Main Street. In 1943, she conveyed her interest in 913 Jefferson to her sisters, Palmira and Julia. Josephine Guenzi Dravecky died in 1986. Palmira Guenzi married Carl Guenzi (of a different Guenzi family) in 1948. 913 Jefferson became their home. It was also the location of Carl's business, Carl's Electric, in the early 1950s before the business was moved to Main Street. Carl Guenzi died in 1966. In 1955, Palmira Guenzi and Julia Guenzi purchased the lots just to the south, at 677 Walnut, and that property is also still in the Guenzi family. More information about 677 Walnut can be found in the report for that property. Property records show that in 1959, Julia Guenzi became the sole owner of 913 Jefferson. Following the death of Julia Guenzi in 1981, 913 Jefferson was conveyed again to Palmira Guenzi. In 1983, following the 1982 death of Palmira Guenzi, ownership passed to their nieces (the daughters of their sister, Josephine), Jo Louise Dravecky Michaels and Therese Dravecky O'Connor. They are still the owners, and recent records show that Therese O'Connor resides there. No other addresses were found for 913 Jefferson. 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. 4