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Cecil (1999) suggests that the distillery was built orginally by Oscar Pepper in 1860 (Coyte papers). Cecil suggests that after Pepper's death, his son James E Pepper took over the running of still until purchased by "Gaines, Barry & Co".
A lawsuit brought before the US Supreme Court by W A Gaines & Co. against the Rock Spring Distilling Co. in 1918 for infringement (ROCK SPRING DISTILLING CO. v. W A GAINES & CO. , 246 U.S. 312) suggests a different story. The suit mentions that the distillation process invented by James Crow was continued following his death by William F Mitchell. In 1867, the process (and it is implied the distillery also) was acquired by Gaines, Berry & Co., later incorporating as W A Gaines & Co.
1892: Insurance underwriter records suggest that the distillery was built of stone. There were six warehouses on the grounds:
Warehouse A -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 125 ft east of the distillery
Warehouse B -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 110 ft NE
Warehouse C -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 110 ft north and adoining "B"
Warehouse D -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 140 ft east of the still and adjoining "A"
Warehouse E -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 250 ft NW
A "Hot" Warehouse -- brick with a metal or slate roof, 40 ft north of the still.
All warehouses were "sprinkled".
At that time, it was being operated by W A Gaines & Co.
The distillery survived Prohibition and passed through several owners, falling into disuse in the 1980's. In 2008, it was dismantled and wood from its structure and warehouses salvaged for reuse.