AAA Magazine | By Larry Bleiberg
What's old is not simply new again in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s downright captivating. Forgotten buildings, retired horses, and long-gone bourbon brands are enjoying dynamic new existences, offering visitors fresh experiences where history and modernity coexist in harmony. Repeat the past? Hardly. Lexington, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2025, is building a brighter, more prosperous future.
Across the city, grand Victorian mansions, once symbols of a bygone era, are being meticulously restored and repurposed as boutique hotels, trendy restaurants, and vibrant event spaces. Old tobacco warehouses and factories, relics of the city's industrial past, are being transformed into chic loft apartments and art galleries, blending the charm of exposed brick and weathered beams with contemporary design.
Revitalization efforts do not stop there: A sprawling distillery abandoned half a century ago has been reborn as an arts and entertainment district. In Georgetown, former champion thoroughbreds now win over fans. And in nearby Woodford County, a once-derelict historic property welcomes architecture aficionados and bourbon lovers. Discover exactly how heritage and creativity collide in Lexington.
A new spirit
On a Friday night, Lexington’s Distillery District buzzes with activity. Families queue for a scoop of cannoli crunch at Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream. Over at District 7 Social, all six duck-pin bowling lanes are occupied. Across the street, a crowd gathers at The Burl, a 1926 train depot that’s now a buzzy nightclub.
It’s a far cry from what a visitor would have found a little over a decade ago. Once one of the nation’s largest alcohol producers, the James E. Pepper Distillery halted production in 1958 and sat dormant for five decades. Days before it was set to be knocked down, investors launched plans to save the property.
Brandon Floan became one of the first tenants, leasing the former fermenting room to launch Ethereal Brewing. He was drawn to the gritty, industrial setting. “They don’t build buildings like this anymore,” he says, pointing to the soaring ceilings and industrial fans. “It’s the architecture, the atmosphere.”
A couple of distilleries—Barrel House and another reclaiming the historic Pepper name—also set up shop in the complex. Other businesses followed, and Lexingtonians discovered a new scene brewing just northwest of downtown. The district attracted other local businesses, including a coffee shop, pizzeria, cidery, and upscale taco restaurant. “Once it took off,” Floan says, “it really took off.”
The area received another boost in 2023 when The Manchester, a 125-room boutique hotel, opened down the street (rates start at $249). The brick building is the first new construction in the district in nearly a century, and its design and decor were inspired by the neighborhood’s warehouses. Guests have free use of bicycles for the five-minute ride to the heart of the district.
“It happened organically,” says Chad Tussey, who operates the eclectic shop Relic Lexington in what had been a distillery warehouse. He sells Kentucky-made souvenirs like bourbon bottle candles as well as furniture, wall art, and rugs. He likes the district so much that he inspired his wife to lease space in the building to run a fitness studio.
Most weekends find the district packed with visitors. With outdoor music and food trucks, the vibe is unlike anything else in Lexington, Tussey acknowledges. “It’s just a fun place to come to recharge and hang out,” he says. “It has all ages, all demographics. Everyone is getting along and having fun.”
A friend in steed
Silver Charm was nearly a legend. In 1997, the racehorse came within a few feet of winning the biggest honor in horseracing, the Triple Crown. But in the last seconds of the Belmont Stakes, a thoroughbred named Touch Gold pulled ahead, denying him a spot in the record books.
Now, the former fierce rivals share a paddock fence. If there’s any bad blood between them, you’d never know it. The two stallions are among hundreds of retired thoroughbreds living out their golden years at the rescue horse farm Old Friends.
The institution was created in 2003, the year news broke that former Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand had likely been sent to a slaughterhouse in Japan after he proved to be an unsuccessful breeder.
Horses are like any other employee, suggests Old Friends founder Michael Blowen. When they aren’t making money through racing or breeding, they aren’t valuable to their owners. He started Old Friends to ensure that former racehorses could live out their lives in comfort and safety.
Today, visitors can see Silver Charm and other Kentucky Derby winners like Big Brown and I'll Have Another. They share the farm with other less famous horses.
“We love them all,” says Blowen, who suggests that the animals know they’re superstars. “You can sense it,” he adds. “They have a confidence and stride.” Blowen, who formerly worked as a film critic, says he once saw the same trait when he met actor Jack Nicholson.
The farm attracts horse lovers and racing fans, along with former owners, jockeys, and trainers. Employees say a horse will recognize someone it hasn’t seen in years, leaning over the fence toward them as if reaching for a hug.
The staff and volunteers are equally devoted. Malinda Moquin moved to Kentucky from Arizona to work at this farm where animals are treated with dignity. “This is their last stop,” Moquin says. “They get health care and a steady parade of admirers ready to feed them carrots.”
A castle for keeps
When lawyer Will Arvin spotted a roofless century-old castle on a dusty Woodford County road in 2012, he didn’t exactly feel inspired by the area. “It was apocalyptic,” he says. The surrounding buildings, abandoned for some 40 years, were collapsing and overrun with kudzu. But he had a vision for the former landmark.
A rail line once brought guests to the property dotted with European inspired–buildings designed to impress: a Scottish castle, a sunken garden, and a springhouse built to resemble a Roman bathhouse.
The Old Taylor Distillery prospered on the property for decades. “This was ground zero of bourbon history,” Arvin says. After Prohibition, it changed hands several times before ceasing operations in 1972, left to be reclaimed by the Kentucky woods.
Against the advice of friends and business partners, Arvin purchased the property in 2014 for about $950,000, envisioning a full restoration that would once again make it a showcase for visitors. He named the project Castle & Key after the main castle building and the key-shaped spring-fed pond that provides water for the distillery.
The limestone castle, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, once again hums with workers producing award-winning spirits. Aging barrels of bourbon pack a warehouse stretching the length of nearly two football fields.
The refurbished grounds—designed by local landscape architect Jon Carloftis, who counts high-profile people like Oprah Winfrey among his clients—are equally impressive. Paths follow a creek populated by river otters and herons, and meander through a sunken garden ringed by 19th-century trees and shrubs.
The property welcomes 150,000 visitors a year. While it offers guided tours starting at about $30, guests can also visit the grounds without charge. Some settle into Adirondack chairs with their laptops; others sip cocktails or snack on charcuterie from the on-site café. During the summer, the castle venue hosts an outdoor concert series.
“This is an open park,” says Brett Connors, Castle & Key’s head blender. (That’s the person who creates consistent and desirable flavors by combining different whiskeys.) “You don't need a ticket. You can come down through the gate. You can bring a picnic. You can sit by the creek and hang out awhile.”
Freelance writer Larry Bleiberg will gladly cross state lines for a new museum, walking tour, or roadside attraction.
Be sure to designate a driver if you plan to drink alcohol.
Original article from AAA.com
