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• <br />L_J <br />HISTORICAL CONTEXT <br />This property is located on the south .East corner of W. LaSalle and North <br />Taylor, South Bend, Indiana. The property was platted in 1831 as Bank Lot <br />number seven. <br />The lots earliest known owner was Jacob S. Kerner. He sold the lot and the <br />house that stood on it .to A. Frank Eby and his wife Anna M. in 1904 for <br />$7,500.00. The-Ebys immediately after purchasing the lot had the existing <br />house torn down and began constructing the house that is presently on the <br />site. <br />A. Frank Eby was born'April 16, 1856 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. He <br />married Anna M. in Lebanon on May 28, 1878. Shortly after the ceremony they <br />moved to Elkhart, Indiana where Frank got a job as a representative of the <br />Singer Sewing Machine Company. By November 25, 1892 Frank Eby became <br />associated with Armour & Co., the meat packing firm of Chicago. He began <br />working for the company's South Bend branch as a car router and is said to be <br />responsible for the first 'car routing in the United States. Frank was <br />promoted to branch manager in 1893, eventually becoming dean of Armour Credit <br />Supervisors. <br />Mr. Eby and Mrs. Eby had no children, but, they.managed to keep busy through <br />social and community organizations. Mrs. Anna M. Eby died Aug. 28. 1917 in <br />their home at 514 LaSalle of a prolonged illness. Mr.. Eby remarried in 1920 <br />to Eva M. Tuck. <br />A. Frank Eby devoted his life to his community. He was a well known <br />businessman, .the president of the Chamber of Commerce, treasurer of all the <br />Scottish Rite bodies, a member of the Board of Control of the Masonic Temples <br />and Rotarian and an Elk. The stress of such an active life finally caught up <br />to Frank forcing him to retire on July 2, 1927. Mr. Eby died of a heart <br />attack on June 27, 1928 while serving as foreman of the Federal Grand Jury. <br />The services were held in his.home at 514 LaSalle. <br />Eva Eby moved out of the house in 1929 leaving it vacant for a year. She then <br />sold it to Charles J. Druliner in 1931. Mr. Druliner resided there for six <br />years, then selling the house to Mrs. Sarah A. Sweeney in 1937. Mrs. Sweeney <br />died in 1941, but, the house remained in the Sweeney family until 1963. After <br />1963 the house went through a series of owners and is currently owned by John <br />J. & Shirley A. Dougherty,.who bought the house from Terry Rickert in 1987. <br />ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION <br />The house is a two story plus attic Queen Anne type, which was constructed <br />with a wood frame, over hanging second floor and clapboard and shingle siding. <br />The roof has a center gable and a small hipped extension projecting off the <br />back, box molded cornice with a line below 3-2 and is covered in interlocking <br />asphalt shingles. The chimney is brick and flush to the first floor and <br />interior through the second and third floor with decorative brick chimney work <br />at the top. The windows are all the double sash type that are hung from top <br />hinges. The house also contains many decorative windows such .as the wood <br />framed stained glass panel window in the back wall, the leaded glass design in <br />the transom over the front window and the first floor side lights. One of <br />• <br />the main features of the house is its front porch which has a brick base, wood <br />slat floor', wood spindle balustrade and brick pedestals that support short <br />