In 1890 Louis Soumprou built Louisville, as he modestly named it, a hall on the corner of Amess and Mapherson Streets, North Carlton and opened his dancing academy. A successful teacher, he taught in other locations as well. Advertisements cited his ability to teach "the tango, maxixe and all the latest dances." During the 1890s annual balls were held at Louisville with up to 100 people attending. By 1907 this popular event had moved to a larger venue. Remarkably, Louis’ school continued to 1931 when very reasonably (the man was then 67) he hung up his dancing shoes. Louisville was then put to a very different use. At that time there was a very substantial Jewish population in North Carlton and the Hascola Talmud Torah moved in with up to 200 children a day attending after-school Hebrew classes. By the late 1930s the sale of the building forced the school to move and the hall was then owned for many decades by the Returned Sailors’ Soldiers’ & Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia (later the RSL). At different times tenants included a local branch of the R.O.A.B. and, in the 1950s, Avonleigh House Receptions. Today Louisville is a private dwelling.
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