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The Old Crow Distillery
RD #106, 7 th District
Woodford County, KY



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.

Review bonded warehouse transactions for this distillery

Internal Revenue recorded warehouse transactions for The Old Crow Distillery as follows:
( explain: origin of these records, letter codes )

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