After a fire earlier this year in February, the Old Hickory Inn (on the corner of Hickory and Lydia streets in Germantown) has remained a charred, windowless eyesore. The C-J reported Tuesday that the Old Hickory is returning and the start of construction is imminent. The bar could be in operation again as soon as the end of the year.
The wooden structure dates to 1890 and building owner Ralph Stengel wants to restore it for the neighborhood rather than tear it down. Damage from the fire (that is believed to have been caused by a cigarette and fueled by a gas leak) is substantial, though. A new roof will be installed and the second floor and a stairway rebuilt. Significant water damage on the ground floor will also have to be repaired.
Bar owner Dave Hoffmann had employed five at the popular establishment that has been a landmark in Germantown for over 50 years. Find out more about the Old Hickory Inn of old from a review over at Louisville on Tap.
- Up In Smoke: Old Hickory Inn Burns (Broken Sidewalk)
