Louisville’s Old Forester Brushed By Whiskey Row Fire

By Richard Thomas

A three-alarm fire that struck in downtown Louisville on Monday has devastated most of a city block of the city’s historic Whiskey Row. The fire site was still experiencing flare-ups and at risk for structural collapses Wednesday, and fire crews were expected to remain on site until this morning according to WLKY. A full evaluation of the damage might not be possible until as late as next week.

The fire at 111 and 113 West Main Street gutted the “111 Whiskey Row” redevelopment project, aimed at turning the buildings into a combination of restaurants, shops and apartments. This was adjacent to the space where the Old Forester tourist distillery under development, but the latter project avoided any serious damage. Parent company Brown-Forman has signaled their intent to go ahead with construction and without delay.