Balke Opera House
Bellevue, Kentucky
Information comes from Jim Reis and
Pieces of the Past at the Campbell Co Historical Society
In an era before movies, radio and television, live entertainment is what most people saw when they had a little free time and a few coins in their pocket. In Northern Kentucky in the late 1800s one of the most famous show places was Balke's Opera House in Bellevue. In 1884 Cincinnati businessman Julius Balke determined that there was a market for an opera house in Northern Kentucky. The site he selected was the southeast corner of Berry and Fairfield in Bellevue.
Balke apparently envisioned the building as serving a variety of uses, including business offices, a dance studio and a large meeting hall in which shows could be produced. Tradition has it that Millard J Peters, who lived at 424 Van Voast Ave, Bellevue, laid the first brick in the new building and the last. A later account in the Kentucky Times Star on July 2, 1924, described the opera house as a "handsome three-story brick building with a frontage of 86 feet on Fairfield Avenue and 66 feet on Berry Avenue." The building housed city offices and featured an auditorium on the second floor.
A Cincinnati theatrical company apparently opened the new building with a performance of ''East Lynne,'' featuring John Drew and his wife, who were popular local performers of that period. In August 1885 John Havlin produced the play ''No. 65 Six Street'' at Balke's Opera House. A Kentucky State Journal reporter wrote that ''the piece abounds with many funny points and all who attend will have a rich treat.''
A follow-up story in the Kentucky State Journal said those who saw the play were ''highly entertained.'' In addition to the performances, Balke's also lured Foster's School of Music and the Kentucky Academy of Music to open offices in the building. Hundreds of local people learned to dance under the instruction of Spence Reeves, who taught dancing at the opera house. Later his daughters, Belle Reeves and Blanche Reeves, carried on their father's business.
The first of a series of dances sponsored by the Bellevue Assembly took place at Balke's Opera House in October 1887. The Bellevue Assembly was a company made up of residents from throughout Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. An account described the hall as ''in the best trim'' and reported ''all enjoyed themselves to the fullest extent.'' In 1891 Balke added a new type of drop curtain to the auditorium stage. The curtain had landscape scenes and business advertisements. That same year the ladies of Bellevue held a Thanksgiving costume ball at Balke's Opera House with those attending in colonial clothes.
Julius Balke died in June 1893. In 1899 the comic opera ''Mikado'' was staged Balke's Opera House. Accounts say the cast featured several local residents, including Gus Harms and his wife. Harms was mayor of Bellevue for many years. Balke's Hall also was used during the early 1900s for Bellevue High School graduation programs.
By 1912 movies were replacing live theatrical shows as the mainstay of popular entertainment, meaning fewer shows were being staged at Balke's Opera House. The building also was on the verge of losing the city offices as city officials were attempting to get out of a five-year lease. They wanted to move the city offices into the recently built Fraternal Association Building on Taylor Avenue. A later account, published in The Kentucky Post in August 1912, noted that city offices had ''recently moved'' to the Taylor Avenue building. That same month, August 1912, repairs were under way at Balke's Opera House. James Ross, a former council member, was in charge of the project. The work included conversion of the former city offices back into business offices. A part of that work apparently involved disconnecting a natural gas meter in the building cellar. Ross later said he had told the caretaker, Clara Plettner, to stay out of the cellar due to gas fumes. However, she went into the cellar and did something that accidentally triggered an explosion. Dazed and severely burned, the 62-year-old woman managed to stagger up to the first floor by the time rescuers arrived. She was taken to Speers Hospital in Dayton and later died from her injuries.
Mrs. Plettner, the widow of a former Bellevue police officer, Robert Plettner, had been caretaker at the opera house for 20 years. Mrs. Plettner's son, Clifford Plettner, who worked as a ''special officer'' a term often used at the time for people who worked as security guards for private companies, stood guard at the building that day and evening to prevent anyone from tampering with the evidence. The question apparently centered on whether the gas leak was accidental or the result of improper repair work. Campbell County Coroner Dr. James Digby later impaneled a coroner's jury, which placed the blame for the gas leak on the gas company.
In fall 1919 Balke's Opera House was the site of ceremony honoring Bellevue people who had served in the military during World War I. Ceremonies included a parade, speeches and a reception at the opera house. Guest speaker was James Campbell Cantrill. A native of Georgetown, Cantrill was a champion of Kentucky farmers and served several terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1908 until his death in 1923. He had been President Woodrow Wilson's chief campaign chairman in 1916 and in 1923 had been an unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Rain washed out the parade part of the Oct. 11, 1919, homecoming celebration, but a Kentucky Post account said some 460 veterans attended the banquet at the opera house. The auditorium was set up with one unoccupied table with six chairs to represent six Bellevue men killed in the war. The Kentucky Post identified them as J. W. Green, N. J. O'Day, P. Herwig, E. Campbell, W. A. Karmand and A. Record. The parade was then held the next night. Bellevue Mayor John L. Winters ordered all stores and businesses to close during the parade.
The Balke Opera House was sold in August 1920 to the Caldwell Overall Co., which in February 1921 began operating out of the building. A Kentucky Post account on Feb. 15, 1921, said W. E. Caldwell was the proprietor and had 12 employees. The same account called the company ''Bellevue's first factory.'' Caldwell Overall Co. would only own the former opera house for about four years. In March 1924 the Blue Grass Aerie of Eagles No. 964 of Bellevue announced it was looking for a new clubhouse. At the time the Bellevue Eagles operated out of a building at Fairfield and Foote avenues, but club members said a larger building was needed. The Kentucky Post said several sites were being explored.
On July 2, 1924, the Eagles announced they were buying the old opera house building for $22,000. Plans were to use the third floor for club operations and to rent out the second floor auditorium. William Caldwell announced he was moving his factory to Hillsboro, Ohio. The plant had suspended operations in October 1923, throwing some 80 people out of work.
The Bellevue Eagles then undertook a remodeling effort and unveiled the completed repairs with an open house on New Year's Day, 1925. Bellevue Mayor Dr. Chester W. Dorsey was main speaker at the dedication. Harry Eilers was president of the Bellevue Eagles at the time and C. Granger was vice president. The building would then become known as Eagles Hall. It was last listed in the local city directory in 1962. The next year the site was still in the directory but listed as ''vacant.'' No building was listed there beginning with the 1964 directory.
Gravett's Auto Body now sits on part of the site.