Dowling House
321 S. Main St., Lawrenceburg, KYThe Dowling House, built in 1886, was the home of John Dowling, who figured prominently in the distilling industry of Anderson County. By 1825, Lawrenceburg had become one of the state's six major centers in the production of whiskey along with Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown, Frankfort, and Harrodsburg, and this industry has remained an integral factor in the economy of Anderson County. Under John Dowling's ownership and supervision, three brands of Anderson County bourbon achieved national renown. Although the Dowling family is no longer involved in the distilling business, whiskey is still produced under the Dowling label in Lawrenceburg. Also, in addition to its historical associations, the Dowling House is one of Lawrenceburg's more outstanding late nineteenth-century residences.
At the age of twelve, John Dowling and his brother came to America from Ireland as a result of the potato famine of the 1840s. In 1872, he moved to Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and established a cooper shop. In partnership with T. P. Ripy, also of Lawrenceburg, Dowling operated a distillery in Clover Bottom at Tyrone, three miles east of Lawrenceburg. He later sold his interests to Ripy and bought the Waterfill and Frazier plant, also at Tyrone. After his death in 1902, his wife Mary M. Dowling continued the operation of the Waterfill and Frazier distillery, moving the plant to Juarez, Mexico during Prohibition. Waterfill and Frazier is still being produced at Juarez. Dowling's third enterprise was the purchase of the Walker distillery near Lawrenceburg, and at this plant, whiskey was produced under the label old Dowling. Old Dowling is still manufactured near Lawrenceburg. Mary M. Dowling continued the family business until her death in 1925, and the Dowling family retained stock in the distillery until ten years ago.
Architecturally, the Dowling House is one of the highlights along South Main Street, being situated within two blocks of the courthouse, at the point where the commercial district fades into Lawrenceburg's residential area. The Dowling House is among the finer remaining examples of late nineteenth-century Italianate and Queen Anne residences that once lined the street.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.