"Louisville Fresh Air Home"

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According to an article called "The Frances Ingram Papers" by Jacob F. Lee and H.F. Boehl, Summer Intern, that appeared in the Filson Historical Society Newsmagazine, Vol. 5, No. 3, the Louisville Fresh Air Camp was established in Pewee Valley in the 1910s as a summer camp for Neighborhood House social settlement:

"Described as a “veritable haven of rest to the city’s tired mothers and a source of joy to their children,” the Fresh Air Home offered multiple weeklong programs during the summer that allowed mothers and children to escape the city. Each summer during the 1920s and 1930s, the Fresh Air Home hosted anywhere from five hundred to a thousand campers, who enjoyed opportunities for swimming, hiking, and other activities offered by the camp’s rural location."

Incidentally, it was on the grounds of the Louisville Fresh Air Home that the Little Colonel Players, an amateur theatrical/community theater group founded in 1956 by a group involved with the Pewee Valley Woman's Club, found their first home:

(from the "History of the Little Colonel Players, Inc")

"The Little Colonel Players was incorporated in 1956. The group met in members’ homes over the first two years. They would read and discuss plays, and members would act out skits for the other members. Space was rented in the old Masonic Lodge, which was housed in the upstairs of the current Playhouse, to have a meeting place. If you look high on the front of the current Playhouse, you can see the Masonic emblem in the stonework at the top of the building.

The group continued with its activities, but it wasn’t until 1958 that they were actually able to get performances underway. Two things happened in early 1958. The group went on a road trip to the Farm and Home Week at the University of Kentucky to present a one-act play, Little Nell or the Triumph of Virtue. This adventure is chronicled in the LCP archives and is covered in the history DVD. With a successful road trip under their belt, the Players were ready to begin their first season of plays. Space was rented at Valley Camp. Valley Camp was a “fresh air camp” for children from Louisville who came out in the summer to enjoy the fresh air of Pewee Valley. A building was rented and converted into a theater, and that’s where the first four seasons of plays were presented.

The first production was an evening of one-act plays, which included, not surprisingly, Little Nell or the Triumph of Virtue. There was no point in wasting all those rehearsals! The second production was a guest show from the University of Louisville Players, who presented The Lark. Then LCP produced its first full- length play, George Washington Slept Here, an outrageously funny comedy. As a tribute to its historical import, this play has been selected to be the first offering in the 50th Anniversary Season.

With a successful first season under its belt, the group was ready to go full bore into the second season. Four plays were selected and presented in the ’58 to ’59 season. The group was ready to forge ahead. Phil Hollenbach was the director of most of the early shows and was instrumental in moving the Players forward. His expertise was a key element in the early success. His enthusiasm and expertise would continue to be felt in full measure until the mid-70s, when his health began to decline.

Over the next few years, LCP presented a full four-play season at Valley Camp and boasted a membership of over 200 members. This was a great feat for so young an organization. LCP roared into the early sixties, hot on the trail of their successes in the fifties. Two programs were developed that continue until this day. LCP produced a children’s play for kids and a youth show for high school and college age actors. LCP continues to provide acting opportunities for children ages 7 to 14 in acting workshops. Each summer, the theater is turned over to high school and college age actors, to give them an opportunity to appear on stage. LCP considers these two programs as vital to their mission of presenting quality plays and providing opportunities to participate to all ages.

In 1962, a near tragedy struck. The land where Valley Camp resided was sold for a development. What were the Little Colonel Players to do? Their home was being sold? With the recent successes of the first three seasons, the Players were not to give up so easily. Frank Mahin and other members of the Board organized a survey. Over 1000 surveys were mailed out to residents of Oldham and east Jefferson County to gauge their interest in supporting the ongoing operations of the Little Colonel Players. The response was overwhelmingly positive, so steps were taken to rent the space where Beard’s grocery had just vacated, our current location. An entire season of plays was missed while the space was renovated. The area that was formerly a grocery store was converted to today’s auditorium. The stage had to be built, risers were installed and the box office entranceway was constructed. Our youth performers were the last ones to perform at Valley Camp and the first group to present at the new location. Hundreds of volunteer hours were needed to complete the work, and it was almost all done by LCP members. Records from the 25th anniversary show that Hank Pulliam spent every weekend for seven months working on the conversion. That’s dedication."

For more on the Little Colonel Players, "the Louisville area's oldest and best Community Theater," visit their website.

 

 

page by Donna Russell

       

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