825 LaFarge Ave Historic Survey - Laserfiche WebLink

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Resource Number: 5BL 7993 Temporary Resource Number: 157508414004 Christina Castrilli family did return to Louisville. The directory describes the family as living on La Farge between Walnut and Spruce, which is an accurate description of 825 La Farge. In 1909, Santino Biella purchased 825 La Farge. Santino was born in Italy in 1884 and came to the US with his parents and siblings in 1885.1 The family came from the area of Novara in northern Italy. He must have returned to Italy at some point, because Ellis Island records show him entering the US from Italy again at the age of 16 in 1900. (He would return to Italy again in 1921 to settle a family estate, according to his passport application.) His sister, Clementina, had married Baptist Bottinelli in Boulder County in 1888 and they had settled in Louisville. The 1910 census shows Santino as living on La Farge, apparently at 825, with his mother, Margariette, who was then 65. He was single and working as a coal miner. Historical records show that Santino's sister, Clementina, lived across the street at 822 La Farge with her husband and family. By 1915, Santino Biella had courted and married a girl from the same block, Mary Zarini. Mary had grown up at 804 La Farge. She was the daughter of Peter and Savina Zarini and was born in Louisville in 1894. She was deaf as a result of a childhood accident. After they married in 1915, they had two sons, Albert (1915-1885) and Arnold (1918- 1972), whom they raised at 825 La Farge. The following is their wedding picture: Santino and Mary Biella, Louisville Historical Museum, E-O N-7 Santino's mother, Margariette, who also lived at 825 La Farge at the time of the 1910 census, died in 1918. The 1920 and 1930 federal census records, plus Louisville directories from 1916 to the 1950s and 1960s, tie Santino and Mary Biella to this location. 825 La Farge had a number of different addresses over the years under Louisville's old address system. In 1916, it was 332 La Farge; in 1918 and the early 1920s, 320 La Farge; and in 1932, it was 340 La Farge. By 1943, it was known as 825 La Farge under Louisville's new address system. 1 The Castle Garden passenger records give the family's surname as "Bellia" instead of 'Biella." 3