Former Old Louisville Inn building to get new life under new owners

City backing restoration project with preservation funds; restaurant expected to open this summer

LOUISVILLE It's all about the grand antique bar made from cherry, birch and mahogany by the Brunswick Co. in Dubuque, Iowa, that dates back to President Grover Cleveland's first term in office.

It's all about the old hand-crank elevator that for a century has lifted and lowered kegs and supplies between the basement and dining room.

It's all about the distinctive red saloon that has sat at the corner of Front and Spruce streets for 110 years, known for the last 46 years as the Old Louisville Inn.

But the survival of that history was very much in question last fall when the Old Louisville Inn closed and the building went dark, its future uncertain. Former owner Garrett McCarthy had tried to keep the creaking building going for the last 20 years but found himself losing that battle to time and the rigors of wear and tear.

"I've tried my best to put brackets in, plaster this, paint that but this is what it needs," he said.

And by this McCarthy means total refurbishment. He is now part of an investment group that will restore the building from top to bottom, even adding a 990-square-foot extension to the south, before bringing the building into its latest incarnation as bar and grill sometime this summer.

Which is about right for the old saloon at 740 Front St. Constructed for its original owner, Tivoli Beer agent E.J. Di Francia, in 1904, the building has stood the test of time as home to a string of watering holes, from DiFrancia's Saloon to Front Street Caf to Primrose Bar to the Old Louisville Inn.

The ownership group, 740 Front Street LLC, got a big boost earlier this month when the Louisville City Council authorized up to $250,000 in historic preservation fund grants to help restore the building. The new owners agreed to landmark it so that it can't be torn down.

John Gstalder, an attorney with The Louisville Law Group and one of five partners in 740 Front Street LLC, said the assistance from the city was critical to following the preservation route rather than demolition.

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Former Old Louisville Inn building to get new life under new owners