Kentucky Life searches for ‘Abandoned Kentucky.’ In Muhlenberg County, the ruins of an 1850’s iron furnace are all that remain of Old Airdrie; the town of Beauty, in Martin County, stands on the site of what once was the Hungarian community of Himlerville; photographer Sherman Cahal explores the deserted Old Crow Distillery in Frankfort; and in Louisville, the preservation of an historic house was accomplished through the efforts of an ice cream shop.
Old Airdrie
On a remote hillside in Muhlenberg County, overgrown stone ruins are all that remain of an ambitious dream in the 1850s to produce and sell quality iron.
In 1855, Sir Robert Alexander, whose family made its fortune in the Scottish iron industry, decided to build an iron furnace along the banks of the Green River. Barry Duvall, a local historian, says that Alexander brought over 200 people and the steam engine from Scotland to build the iron furnace.
Continue reading about Old Airdrie and watch the video.
Himlerville, Kentucky
The tiny town of Beauty, Kentucky, located near the West Virginia border, was once a unique and successful coal mining community called Himlerville.
The town’s founder, Martin Himler, immigrated from Hungary to the U.S. in 1907. He arrived with no savings or resources, but found work in the coal mines.
Read more about Himlerville and watch the video.
Old Crow Distillery
The Old Crow Distillery in Frankfort hasn’t produced a drop of its original bourbon since 1987. But for photographer Sherman Cahal, the magic in the facility comes from those decades of neglect.
Cahal runs the a website called Abandoned at abandonedonline.net, where he documents deteriorating architecture ranging from old churches and hospitals to shuttered malls and power stations. He brought the Kentucky Life crew along on his visit to Old Crow, and explained why abandoned buildings are his favorite subject.
Find out more about Sherman Cahal and the Old Crow Distillery and watch the video.
The Comfy Cow
One house in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood went from a classic example of Victorian architecture, to derelict eyesore, to cheerful neighborhood gathering spot. The Comfy Cow, a Louisville-based ice cream shop, made that final transformation possible.
“When we purchased the building, we were set on improving it and getting it back up to its original glory,” says Tim Koons-McGee, owner of the Comfy Cow. “It was one of the best examples of Queen Anne architecture, Victorian architecture, in Clifton.”
