Kentucky’s bourbon heritage is steeped in history, with its origins tracing back to early settlers who brought their culture and knowledge of distilling from Europe to the fertile lands of the Bluegrass State. In addition to the storied distilleries, that heritage includes the grand mansions that were the residences of some of the industry’s most influential figures.
The T.B. Ripy Home: A Beacon of Bourbon Elegance
Located on South Main Street in Lawrenceburg, the T.B. Ripy Home is a striking example of the grandeur associated with Kentucky’s bourbon aristocracy. Completed in 1888, this mansion was the home of Thomas B. Ripy, a prominent bourbon industry figure and co-founder of Ripy Brothers Distillery.
James Ripy, T.B. Ripy’s father, was an immigrant from Northern Ireland who settled in Lawrenceburg in 1830. He began work as a store clerk while he was in his 20s and went on to become a successful merchant and distributor of household goods, including bourbon, in the mid-1840s and ’50s. He bought several small distilleries in and around Anderson County.
In 1869, James, T.B. and James’ other son, James P. Ripy, built a large distillery on Wild Turkey Hill and named it Ripy Brothers Distillery. Boosted by what became a prosperous distillery, the Wild Turkey Hill area developed into a community that the elder James called Tyrone in honor of his home county in Northern Ireland. At its peak, Tyrone had a population of 1,500, with stores along a square, a city hall and a post office. The Ripy operation was the largest distiller in the world from 1880-1905.
T.B. Ripy built an 11,000-square-foot home, completed in 1888, on Lawrenceburg’s Main Street. Today a cherished landmark and destination, the Ripy Home hosts bourbon-related events each month and can be booked for weddings, showers, reunions and other events. The stunning Queen Anne-style mansion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers visitors a glimpse into the life of one of Kentucky’s influential bourbon pioneers and his impact on the local community.
The Saffell House: A Historical Gem
Located on Lawrenceburg’s Main Street a couple of houses from the T.B. Ripy Home is the Saffell House, which was constructed in the unique Richardson Romanesque style named for famed Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson. It was built around 1890 for pre-Prohibition bourbon mogul William Butler Saffell.
W.B. Saffell started his career in the industry as a teenager and worked for more than two decades at the McBrayer Distillery, which was owned by distiller and politician W.H. McBrayer.
Saffell struck out on his own in 1889, when he built a 350-barrel distillery near Alton, a community northwest of Lawrenceburg. In 1903, Wine and Spirit Bulletin gave this account of the distillery: “Mr. Saffell has a warehouse capacity of 21,000 barrels … By his carefulness and knowledge of the business, he has built up a high reputation and a successful business.”
Saffell spent his entire life working in the bourbon industry and died in 1910. His distillery continued production until Prohibition.
Saffell House is a beautiful, imposing home set back from South Main Street. It was turned into a funeral home around 1940, and an extension to the house was built in the 1950s to accommodate an expanding funeral home business.
About 20 years later, the funeral home closed, and the structure was divided into apartments. Around 10 years ago, a portion of the Saffell House once again became a funeral home, with apartments remaining on the second floor.
The mansion stands as a symbol of the Saffell family’s success and influence in the region. Today, it is a well-preserved historical site that offers visitors to the funeral home section insight into the opulent lifestyle of Kentucky’s bourbon elite.
The Dowling House: A Mansion of Distinction
The Dowling House, located across the street from the Ripy House in Lawrenceburg, was built in 1886 by John Dowling and his wife, Mary, the daughter of Irish immigrants.
Born in County Roscommon, Ireland, the 12-year-old John Dowling and his brother, Edward, immigrated to the United States in 1853 to flee Ireland’s potato famine. As an adult, Dowling operated a distillery in partnership with T.B Ripy in Clover Bottom at Tyrone, 3 miles east of Lawrenceburg. Dowling later sold his interest in the distillery to Ripy and bought the Tyrone-based Waterfill and Frazier Distilling Company in 1903. Dowling died that year, and the distillery was destroyed by fire in 1904.
Following Dowling’s death, the distillery was rebuilt by his widow and their sons. They enjoyed some success, and when Prohibition was imposed, Mary continued the operation illegally. She became notorious in the industry, acquiring the moniker “The Mother of Bourbon.”
Although the Dowling family is no longer involved in the distilling business, whiskey is still produced under the Mary Dowling Whiskey Co. label in Lawrenceburg.
Architecturally, the Dowling House projects the lavish historic elements of the Italianate and Queen Anne styles. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. Over the years, the Dowling House has been a funeral home, a dentist’s office and a lodge. Today, the 7,740-square-foot, 2½-story dwelling houses four apartments and is not open to the public.
Berry Hill Mansion: A Jewel of Franklin County
A Colonial Revival-style building, Berry Hill Mansion sits on a hill overlooking the state Capitol. It was designed by William J. Dodd and built in 1900. The 200-acre area surrounding the home was named Juniper Hill because of the vast number of red cedar trees on the property.
Born in 1856 in Indiana, George Franklin Berry was the son of Hiram Berry, who partnered with renowned distillers W.A. Gaines and E.H. Taylor to form W.A. Gaines and Company distillery in the 1860s. George later became an executive in the Frankfort operation, which produced Old Crow and Old Hermitage bourbons, among other whiskeys. When Hiram died in 1896, his shares of the distillery went to George.
George prospered and purchased 37 acres in Franklin County from a man known as “Preacher Arnold.” On this land, he built Berry Hill Mansion.
In 1927, George retired and sold his shares in the distillery. He died at his estate in 1938. The Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased the property in 1957 for $50,000, and it was used as the State Library until 1982, when the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives headquarters was built.
Today, Berry Hill Mansion is used as a venue for weddings, meetings and other events. The first floor is available for guided tours, conferences and receptions, and the second floor houses offices for state government agencies.
The estate’s significance is not limited to its architectural beauty; it also represents a period in Kentucky’s history when bourbon was more than a drink—it was a symbol of wealth and influence.