Joseph Dorr Falley Double
| Dates: | c.1872 |
| Location: | 218-220 S. Sixth Street. |
| Cost: | $10,000 |
This double seems to have been built in 1872 for Joseph Dorr Falley (1839-1903), a partner in the firm of L. Falley & Co., manufacturers of boots and shoes. At the time, the house was reported to have cost $10,000. The Falley family seems to have occupied the house until about 1890. In 1899, the double house and property were sold to William S. Potter. Potter (1855-1928) was a prominent Lafayette lawyer who seems to have used the house as a rental property.
In 1941, ownership of the J. D. Falley double and property was transferred to George L. Potter (1892-1979). He seems to have divided the double into apartments during the mid-1930s. Potter owned about 100 rental units which received little maintenance. These included several other once grand residences which were subdivided into shabby rooming houses. As of 1950 the Falley double had been divided into twelve units. At some point the original dormers, cornice, and front porch were stripped off of the double. The building is listed as the Potter Apartments in city directories until about 1980, then as the Sanders Apartments (1980-1990),the “Two Twenty Apartments” (1991-1995), and the Stair Apartments (1996-2001) with ten units. It was vacated about 2001, and boarded up in April of 2002.
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| The J. D. Falley Double, December, 2002 Roll your mouse over the image to see a re-coloring of the to suggest what the building might have looked like |
The J. D. Falley Double, June, 2004 |
New owners began work on renovating the building began in late-2002. The ravaged interiors had largely been stripped of their woodwork except for portions of the intact twin staircases and a few window frames. Doors had been walled over and rooms subdivided. 1960s-era ceiling plaster in a textured pattern had been spread over walls and even woodwork and doors. The whole interior had been severely neglected. A great deal of work was needed to return the house to livable condition. The renovation was completed in July, 2004. The J. D. Falley double is once again a source of pride for the Ellsworth neighborhood and hopefully a catalyst for future development in the area.
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| Rear of the Falley Double, 2002 | Rear of the Falley Double, June, 2004 |
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| The front entrance in 2003, note stone porch steps | June, 2004 |
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| The north window of the front facade with an outline of the original porch profile shaded in | The same window, June, 2004 |
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| Newel post in the entryway of the south house | South side of the double along New York Street |
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| View from the southwest | Detail of a window hood on the south wall |