Old Taylor Distillery

 

Old Taylor Distillery is a defunct distillery located south of Frankfort, Kentucky. Constructed by E.H. Taylor, Jr. in 1887, Old Taylor was known for a fine, quality product that was the first to produce one million cases of straight bourbon whiskey.

 

Old Taylor Distillery's signature entrance, constructed entirely of Tyrone, Kentucky limestone.

 

Overview of the facility.

 

 

Taylor was involved in financial and political interests for the commonwealth, and was politically well connected. He was a descendant of James Madison and Zachary Taylor, two U.S. presidents, and as a result of this, he served as for 16-years as mayor of Frankfort and as a state representative and senator.

 

Taylor was essentially responsible for revitalizing the liquor industry that had little to no confidence from consumers due to product quality. He passed laws that would ensure quality, such as the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which was a federal subsidy via a tax abatement for products produced under particular government standards.

 

Offices at Old Taylor Distillery, now in a stage of collapse.

 

Additional offices.

 

When the Old Taylor Distillery was constructed, it was considered a showcase of bourbon making in the entire state. The complex included a peristyle spring house, sunken gardens and gazebos. The main office and plant were constructed entirely of Tyrone, Kentucky limestone. Inside were gardens and rooms where Taylor entertained guests and politicians. Visitors arrived on the "Riney-B," or the Richmond, Nicholasville, Irvine & Beattyville Railroad, where they would be given a tour of the facility.

 

The peristyle spring house includes limestone columns and ionic column tops.

 

 

 

A gazebo along the banks of Glenn's Creek.

 

Old Taylor was the first distillery to reach one million U.S. Government certified cases of straight bourbon whiskey. Times were great, to the extent that National Distilleries purchased Old Taylor Distillery in 1935. National Distilleries operated the plant for years before it passed to the Jim Bean Corporation. All production ceased in 1972. Jim Bean stored and aged bourbon whiskey in the warehouses until 1994, when the space was declared surplus.

 

 

 

Various proposals have been floated to revitalize the distillery complex. Cecil Withrow, a former employee of National Distilleries, along with Robert Sims, his business partner, purchased the property and incorporated Stone Castle Properties. Renovations began in 1996 at Old Taylor and in 1997, an arts and craft mall opened in the former bottling house. Withrow planned on including a natural spring bottling operation and a whiskey distilling business by 1999, but those plans failed due to financial ills.

 

In May of 2005, the property was sold to Scott Brady, who has been completing selective demolition of several warehouses that are in various stages of collapse or decay, and to renovate existing buildings. Wood and other materials from the warehouses are being marketed under Heart Pine Reserve.

 

Former offices inside the castle-like main structure were carved out for yeast tanks.

 

Fermentation tanks.

 

 

The East Room, which was substantially more modern, with blue-tiled walls and a reinforced-concrete structure, contained additional fermentation tanks.

 

Control panels.

 

 

 

The remains of the still room, where Old Taylor whiskey was doubled.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottling plant that was later converted into an arts and craft mall.

 

The photographs presented are the first published photographs of the interior since the facility ceased operations in 1972. If you are able to identify any particular rooms or can clue in on particular functions, please feel free to call or e-mail. Be sure to click through to Old Taylor Distillery for more photographs of the facility!

 

Original blog entry --

http://www.abandonedonline.net/index.php?q=blog&id=94

Beautiful.

A buddy introduced me to the charms of Old Taylor when I was barely 21. The label still exists, but I've heard the product isn't as nice as it was when I first became acquainted with it.

Boy, I would love to own a bourbon distillery!