Their First Home--1934

Fred and Vivian White Azbell married in 1934 and moved into the Mary Elizabeth, an apartment building located at 4801 East Washington Street. Hundreds of other young families started in apartment buildings located along East Washington Street. The Layman family built the first multi-family structure at the southeast corner of South Audubon and East Washington Street in 1914.  It was the first such large venture in the neighborhood. Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, other developers followed suit. The Mary Elizabeth had been in operation since 1927.  The Azbells dwelled in Unit 9.  To see more images of the Mary Elizabeth click on the link below.

Vivian White Azbell sat in her living room in Apartment #9 at the Mary Elizabeth (4801 East Washington Street) in 1934.

The Mary Elizabeth opened in 1927. It is pictured here in the winter of 2012.  

The historic image is courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

Setting Up Housekeeping in 1937

In December of 1937, newlyweds Tom and Evelyn Ferling set up housekeeping in their small apartment at the Mary Elizabeth (4801 East Washington Street) in unit number six. This incredible snapshot gives us some insight as to some of the wonderful decor from the 1930s. I especially enjoy the tall radio dominating the small living room and the art deco ashtray. The couple both grew up in the Irvington area with Tom living on Bosart Avenue and Evelyn on Poplar Road. Within a few years, the young couple would see many changes including Tom's stint in the navy during World War II, and the birth of their two children. They eventually settled at 5823 Beechwood Avenue.

The historic image is courtesy of Bill Ferling. The contemporary image shows the Mary Elizabeth during the winter of 2012.