Whiskey Row, Louisville

	100 West Main Street Historic District
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district
	A portion of Louisville's historic Whiskey Row on West Main Street
Location	101–133 W. Main St., Louisville, Kentucky
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1852–1905
Architect	Henry Whitestone, John Andrewartha, D.X. Murphy
Architectural style	Revivalist, Chicago School
NRHP reference No.	89000385
Added to NRHP	June 4, 2010

Last updated April 28, 2024

Whiskey Row in Louisville, Kentucky refers to an area along Main Street, close to the Ohio River, which was home to the bourbon industry.

History

In 1857, the buildings^{[ which? ]} were built and used to store whiskey barrels that had been produced from the distilleries nearby.^[2] On a list of Louisville Most Endangered Historic Places, the buildings were slated for demolition in 2011,^[3] but an agreement between the city, local developers, and preservationists saved Whiskey Row.

Numerous distilleries would transport whiskey barrels to the Louisville market for sale by train or wagon. Main Street became so extremely populated with whiskey firms that it decided to name the buildings Whiskey Row. Due to the countless roles that Kentucky played in the liquor market, it later became the leading producer for distilled spirits. Some of the top liquor companies such as Brown Forman, Greenbrier Distillery, John T. Barbee, amongst other major companies have their offices and businesses in Louisville.^[4]

D.X. Murphy & Brother designed the Galt House Hotel and distillery buildings including:

Bernheim Distillery (c.1896)^[5]
Combined Distillers of Kentucky (c.1905–1906)^[5]
Bonnie Brothers Distillery (c.1903–1912)^[5]
The Phil. Hollenbach Company (c.1889), 528 Main, which in 2023 was home of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience ^[5]^[6]

With Prohibition, which was in effect from 1919 to 1933, the distilleries closed and many buildings were lost.^[4]

The 100 West Main Street Whiskey Row Historic District refers in particular to a block-long stretch from 101 to 133 W. Main Street, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.^[1] It is a collection of eleven contributing buildings in Renaissance Revival, Beaux Arts, and Chicago School styles with cast-iron storefronts that were built between 1852 and 1905.^[7]

The district included:

107–109 West Main St., "built by the distilling firm of J.T.S. Brown and Sons, who, under several different titles including Brown, Foreman, and Company, had occupied two different

structures on the north side of the 100 block", a buildijng of Chicago School design by D.X. Murphy ^[7]

House of Weller, 121 W. Main Street, separately listed on the National Register in 1979

123 West Main Street, which had housed the Galt House Hotel, a hotel of international reputation developed by Norbourne A. Galt. The hotel was located originally (from 1835 to 1865) at 125–127 West Main and 129-31 West Main Street, then expanded in 1861 to what is now 123 West Main.^[7] (With the expansion (?) designed by D.X. Murphy (HMDB source))
Trade Mart Building, 131 W. Main Street, aka the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Office Building, separately listed in 1973^[7]

Fire

On July 6, 2015, a fire partially destroyed three of the Whiskey Row buildings extending from 111 to 115 W. Main Street. Developers vowed to continue redeveloping the properties.^[8] The accidental fire began in the basement of one of the buildings that were at the time being renovated. The workers who had been renovating the building were trying to peel away old cast iron piping by using acetylene torches and grinders. According to Maj. Henry Ott, of the Louisville Fire Department, he believes that the slag left behind from these tools dropped and smoldered.^[9] Once the fire started from the basement, it made its way up to the rest of the building and across to the two others. Thankfully, the buildings were vacant and there were no injuries.^[10]

Development

As of 2014, some or all of the Whiskey Row buildings had been renovated into Old Forester Distillery^[11] (its original 1880s home at 119 West Main Street), luxury apartments, restaurants, and retail businesses.^[4] When the entire Whiskey Row project would be finished, the 100th block of Main Street was projected to include a distillery tourist attraction, two upscale hotels, and a huge retail outlet.^[12]

Gallery

Front of the House of Weller, 121 W. Main Street
Front and western side of the Trade Mart Building, 131 W. Main Street
Front of the buildings in the J.T.S. Brown and Son's Complex, 105–109 E. Main Street

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References

1 2 3 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
↑ "Fire ravages Louisville's famed Whiskey Row". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
↑ Hall, Elizabeth. "some article perhaps by Elizabeth Hall who was an editor of LD&A". Lighting Design & Application . 42 (9).
1 2 3 Tim Talbott; Christopher Beebout. "Whiskey Row". ExploreKYHistory. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
1 2 3 4 Filson Historical Society. "D.X. Murphy & Bro., Architects". Historic Marker Database. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
↑ "Bourbon Done Right / Evan Williams Bourbon Experience". Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
1 2 3 4 Joanne Weeter (December 2, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: 100 West Main Street Historic District / JF-CD-1 through 11". National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023. With accompanying photos
↑ Bailey, Phillip M.; Shafer, Sheldon S.; Kim, Gina; Kaneshiro, Janica (July 7, 2015). "Fire ravages Whiskey Row buildings". The Courier-Journal . Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
↑ "Whiskey Row fire ruled accidental". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
↑ "Whiskey Row buildings on fire". Louisville Business First. July 6, 2015. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
↑ "Kentucky's First Bottled Bourbon is Back on Whiskey Row (Complete with a Visitor's Center)". June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
↑ "Louisville's Whiskey Row Way becoming bourbon tourist mecca". Courier-Journal. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

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[nris-1] 1 2 3 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.

[2] "Fire ravages Louisville's famed Whiskey Row". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

[3] Hall, Elizabeth. "some article perhaps by Elizabeth Hall who was an editor of LD&A". Lighting Design & Application . 42 (9).

[Talbott-4] 1 2 3 Tim Talbott; Christopher Beebout. "Whiskey Row". ExploreKYHistory. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

[hmdb-5] 1 2 3 4 Filson Historical Society. "D.X. Murphy & Bro., Architects". Historic Marker Database. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2023.

[6] "Bourbon Done Right / Evan Williams Bourbon Experience". Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.

[nrhpdoc-7] 1 2 3 4 Joanne Weeter (December 2, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: 100 West Main Street Historic District / JF-CD-1 through 11". National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023. With accompanying photos

[8] Bailey, Phillip M.; Shafer, Sheldon S.; Kim, Gina; Kaneshiro, Janica (July 7, 2015). "Fire ravages Whiskey Row buildings". The Courier-Journal . Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[LBF2-9] "Whiskey Row fire ruled accidental". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2018.

[LBF1-10] "Whiskey Row buildings on fire". Louisville Business First. July 6, 2015. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2018.

[11] "Kentucky's First Bottled Bourbon is Back on Whiskey Row (Complete with a Visitor's Center)". June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.

[12] "Louisville's Whiskey Row Way becoming bourbon tourist mecca". Courier-Journal. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

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