Frankfort's "Corner of Celebrities" features the historic homes of many of the city's early icons, including John Brown, the Congressman who introduced the bill for Kentucky's statehood, and Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr., a founding father of the bourbon industry. Brown's home, Liberty Hall, began construction in 1796 and today is a museum and historic site. Taylor's home, built in 1815, is now The Ashbrook Hotel - a boutique hotel and restaurant.
"Liberty Hall has welcomed guests to Frankfort for more than two centuries, and this partnership is a natural next chapter for us," said Sam Dunn of Liberty Hall in a press release. "Our expanded event spaces let us host larger and more ambitious gatherings, and The Ashbrook Hotel is the perfect lodging companion."
Through the new partnership, clients who book an event at Liberty Hall and reserve a room block at The Ashbrook can receive discounted pricing, with packages available for weddings, corporate retreats, nonprofit galas, and other gatherings.
The Ashbrook Hotel is an old building, but a relatively new operation. Tyler Bromagen, a Lexington-based real estate developer, didn't intend to buy the property when he first toured it in July 2021.
"I got lost the first time walking around here," said Bromagen. "It was just incredible, you know? It was in terrible condition, but you just saw the beauty of the property and what it could be. I felt like it needed to be restored, and the hotel, restaurant, and bar aspect kind of came in after."
It took four years to restore the building, as Bromagen navigated both historic review processes and the building's unique original features. Specialists were required to restore some aspects of the building, including its hand-nailed herringbone floors, thousand-pound marble fireplaces, and walls lined with pressed oil.
The Ashbrook opened in December 2024 with 14 rooms, a restaurant, and a bar stocked with rare bourbons. Bromagen says, until recently, there was no upscale hotel in Frankfort - which he saw as an opportunity, considering Buffalo Trace brings over 600-thousand visitors to the city every year. He sees The Ashbrook as part of a larger shift.
"When you start to see people coming in and investing in your community, it's the flywheel idea," explained Bromagen. "Everything compounds on itself. Every new business going in, every time somebody comes in and risks building an endeavor that they care about, that continues this momentum for our city."