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1865: The distillery was built on Reservoir Ave at Frankfort: Reservoir was later renamed Mellwood Ave. It was build by George W Swearingen from Bullitt Co., Pres. 1890: City directories show George W Swearingen to be President of the Mellwood Distillery Co., R F Balke was Vice Pres., W H Jacobs, Sec. & Treas. 1891-1892: Directories show that R F Balke is now President, George W Swearingen, Vice Pres., W H Jacobs, Sec. & Treas., E O Luthy, Supt. (1891-1892). 1892: Insurance underwriter records suggest that the distillery was built of brick and equipped with a metal or slate roof. The property included seven warehouses, all brick with metal or slate roofs: 1895: Directories now show R F Balke to be President & General Manager, George W Swearingen, Vice Pres., W H Jacobs, Sec., Walter Werner, Treas., J H Johnson, Asst. Sec. Edmund O Luthy, Supt. 1896: The distillery was acquired by the Trust, with D K Weiskopf as President, Henry Imorde, VP and Henry Wilken Secretary and Treasurer. 1918: Prohibition caused the distillery to close its doors, but it was reopened in 1935 as General Distillers of Kentucky.
Warehouse A -- a Free warehouse located 70 ft SW of the still.
Warehouse B -- 125 ft south
Warehouse C -- 120 ft south and adjoining warehouse B.
Warehouse D -- 300 ft SW
Warehouse E -- 300 ft SW
Warehouse F -- 60 ft NW
Warehouse G -- 100 ft north
The property also included a fermenting house, a grain elevator, and a cattle barn standing 220 ft NW of the still house.
The insurance records show the distillery being operated by Mellwood Distilling Co., among other companies.
Aliases that this distillery's product was sold under
Review bonded warehouse transactions for this distillery