Establishing a Historical Landmark - 514 W. LaSalle Ave

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