On the corner of East Poplar and Main sits the Blue Front, one of Main Streets' most impressive buildings.
Built in 1887 in the Queen Anne style, with Romanesque details of rough
stone arches and a corner tower, it gives the street a feeling of
substance. Its name was acquired from
its best known business, the Blue Front Department Store, which operated there
at the turn of the century. James
Isenberg and his brother started out there with a dry goods store and quickly
expanded into a department store which always seemed to be ahead of its
time. Among its many innovations were an
electric carrier system which took transactions to a central office where
change was made, packages wrapped, and returned to the customer. During the local street fairs, which took
place right in front of their businesses, the Blue Front provided a nursery
with “20 nurses in uniform, cradles and swings” for children to be cared for,
“throwing open its doors to make the store your home while in town.” After 58 years in business, the Blue Front
closed in 1939.
These 1940s photograph shows Chenoweth Hall, a sad reminder
of the beauty it once was. In the
foreground is the semi-circle balcony overlooking the stage. The regular seats below cannot be seen
because old merchandise, fixtures and other junk was brought upstairs when the
Blue Front closed. The photo below is an
up close look at the stenciling done on the walls and ceilings. This was not wallpaper - each stencil was hand
painted. According to a 1991 quote by Mrs. Lucille Graves, “The Blue Front
Theatre had the most beautiful ceiling and as a child I remember looking up and
seeing the stars on that ceiling …” Harrodsburg native, Ralph Anderson, bought
the Blue Front in 1988 and, after a lengthy renovation inside and out, returned
the Blue Front to its original glory. However, the upstairs theatre is not open to the public.
Each Christmas Mr. Isenberg had a great party for all the children. Santa Claus came with a noisemaker for every child. Have you seen the Opera House on the second floor of this building? It was restored by the late Ralph Anderson to its original beauty. Many years ago the opera came to Harrodsburg and enjoyed this fine house as did the folks here in Harrodsburg.
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