During the historic home tour back in September, we strolled past an old building facing Jay Street. Mrs. Confidential asked me about it. I confessed ignorance (a rare occurrence, she errantly maintains), and vowed to look it up.Finally I did. Just today, in fact. It turns out that the structure once housed a business, and is part of a property that includes a home on East Elm that recently sold. Here's the skinny from the Historic New Albany web site, including photos borrowed from the site.
Long-Graf House and Crupper factory
The structure at the rear of the property is also significant: it housed the Jacob Graf Crupper Company, which operated from about 1905 until at least the early 1960s. The business manufactured cruppers, which are a component of a horse harness. Later the company produced leather luggage and trunk handles.
The house was sold, and the historic factory building comes as part of the deal. Let's hope that the buyer is imaginative.
