The “Boarding House” End of Era
Posted on 9/27/24Belle Brezing was said to have let this house fall into disrepair during the last two decades of her life. The south wall’s brick began to crumble due to water damage. She contemplated moving to one of her other properties but was persuaded to stay. While Belle spent money to fix the wall, her health declined, and so did her once glamorous home. During the last two decades of her life, dust settled, wallpaper peeled from walls and ceilings, and water damage slowly took over the house.
Belle died at the age of 80 from ovarian cancer on August 11, 1940. The newspaper article titled "A Ghost House" was published and sold out, astonishing everyone that a midweek paper would ever sell out. This led to scalpers making extra money and infuriated others who were appalled that such a story made the front page. Oftentimes, newspapers misspelled her name as "Breazing" or "Breezing." All her contents were appraised, especially her jewelry, which received three appraisals in the thousands, but all her furniture was appraised at only $300 in total. In 1940, the opinion of late 19th-century furniture was far from positive, but because this house was owned by the well-known Belle, everything sold. Her bedroom suite was auctioned off to Clara Sayer for $1,600 and later sold to a Kentucky lawyer in the 1980s for over $7,000. The whereabouts of the suite today are unknown.
Today, our photo study consists of glimpses from 1940s interior and exterior of the home, as well as its final condition in the 1970s, showcasing what was left behind.
Thanks to the Explore University of Kentucky website for sharing their wonderful collection.
After Belle died in 1940 an auction was held at her house. All of her belongings were sold, and the house itself was sold. In the photo, you can see the front porch, which was replaced in the 20th century, and the house surrounded by overgrown weeds, showing signs of neglect. Note the ghost marks on the third floor, indicating where the gable was before the rebuild.
For the first time, we see a view of the stair hall, featuring its fretwork stick and ball screen, elaborate railings, wallpapered walls and ceilings, and Lincrusta dado. Photos of some interior rooms were taken after many people had gone through and purchased items during the auction, leaving the house very disorderly.
Look to the left of the bookcase, and you’ll notice an intriguing swinging door, or possibly doors. They seem to be made of rattan with a fabric backing. Did this come from the kitchen area? Or perhaps this entered the infamous ballroom with its nickelodeon. The small room to the right was a spot where Belle was said to sit occasionally, allowing her to view both the front and side doors. In this photo, it seems the lace curtains throughout the house have been scattered about.
One of the formal parlors appears to have been wallpapered and the woodwork painted at some point during Brezing’s operation. This may have happened after the fire or several years later. Her collection of vases is gathered together for sale, and we can see some familiar items from the original photos that survived the 1890s fire. Notice the servant’s call bell on the wall to the right, near the molding.
Some of the items we see in the original 19th-century photos still existed during the 1940s auction, including one of the horned chairs from the original parlor. The chairs were described in the 1940s as having plush red fabric, but you can see that they were originally a leopard print.
After many years, it appears the steers never moved from this mantel. The only thing missing is the statue that once sat in the middle. They feature a typical base with a pattern popular in the 1880s. Additionally, there seem to be two steers behind the lampshade, which were also positioned to the left of the mantel.
A shield and swords, similar to those in this old photo, still hang on the wall.
On the other side of that room, we can see this beautiful etagere still displaying all the popular late 19th century bric-a-brac now covered in dust. To the left is a large doorway that was enclosed with a giant mirror at some point. In the original photo of this room, this area was a large open doorway. The doorway on the right also appears to have had a leaded glass doorway installed. Can someone identify this statue? Enter it in the comments below.
We don’t have many views of this room, but it is assumed to be the back parlor facing a dining room or ballroom. At some point, the room’s walls were covered in metal, possibly after the fire. As you look through the parlor into this other room evidence of damage is clearly visible on the walls. Barely visible all the way to the right in this room you can see her nickelodeon. During interviews, this space was identified as a ballroom with red walls and a mirrored ceiling—it’s unfortunate that there aren’t more photos of that. The back wall appears to have its wallpaper peeling off, exposing the plaster beneath. All the dining room silver is arranged on tables for purchase.
The ornate parlor table sat sadly, waiting for a prospective buyer. I wonder if it now sits in an antique store somewhere or if it has been sadly lost. The 1940s weren’t particularly kind to this era of furniture.
This mystery room resembles a pantry. To the right, there seems to be a random toilet bowl placed on the floor, though it is not connected. A tall, very dirty vase sits alone on the ground.
Looking down from the third floor, you get a striking view of what was once a grand hall. I would guess that the staircase originally had carpet, rather than what we see today.
This bedroom features an Eastlake bed, but it is unclear which room this is—perhaps it was the housekeeper’s room.
Another bedroom is shown here, possibly one of the girls’ rooms, featuring an Eastlake dresser and an armoire to the right.
These two silver cups are engraved with Belle’s initials, B.B. The spoon is inscribed with the name “Kitten,” dated June 16, 1899—possibly a gift from Billy Maben, who was said to have called her Kitten.
The newspaper article titled The Ghost House offers an intriguing look at those who were in the house before the auction. You can view the front page here, and the full article here. The close-up of the nickelodeon in her ballroom, the reflection of the parlor through the large mirror, and the clear view of the hallway are captivating. It’s unfortunate that the hard copies have been lost to time.
This is a view of the home that we don’t often see. Over the years, the house became a rooming house for men of color during the war, and later it was divided into apartments. You can see that the iron fence was removed and replaced with a stone wall.
In 1973, another fire broke out, this time sealing the fate of the home for good. While the upper floors were badly damaged, the lower floors remained mostly intact. There was some discussion about converting the building into a restaurant, but nothing came of it.
The decision was made to demolish the building, but before that could happen, one final auction was held to sell off nostalgic items.
Belle’s parlor mirror, seen here, was purchased and later donated to the Kentucky Historical Society, where it is now displayed in a parlor alongside some of Belle’s possessions.
Identifying some of the similar pieces, it’s interesting to note that this mantel is the same as the one originally in Belle’s room. I’m unsure if there were two identical mantels or if it was moved to another room after the fire. With that aside, here is a side-by-side view of the mantel in the house at the time of the fire.
During my research, I discovered that it appears the side porch was purchased by someone and reassembled into a screen. There were discussions about this screen being used in a movie starring Nicole Kidman, but I haven’t been able to verify that. Please post in the comments section below if you know more. You can see a beautiful view of this Moorish screen.
After all the contents—windows, doors, mantels, mirrors, fretwork, and even an entire room—were sold to a man who planned to install them in a den, Belle Brezing’s house was demolished. It didn’t stop there; individual bricks were also sold. It’s amazing that this “orderly disorderly house” became so popular that even bricks were in demand.
Following the demolition, a newspaper article discussed the house, the story of Belle, and included a rendering of the home. You can see that here, but unfortunately, it never amounted to anything, and the home was slated for demolition.
Previous Chapters:
1. The "Boarding House" & Its Parlors
2. Belle's "Boarding House" Bedroom Suite
3. Fire at the “Boarding House”!
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