COVINGTON, Ky. – A once-crumbling, 148-year-old former pickle factory in Covington’s central business district has been given a new life.
An estimated 300 folks gathered last week at the building at the intersection of Tobacco and Electric alleys for the launch party of the Pickle Factory Hotel. Even though this business is new, it keeps the structure's vibrant history alive.
Each of its eight suites is themed to reflect phases of the space’s history. Two suites pay homage to the building’s first owner, Henry Wenzel, with the flair of a 19th-century aristocrat. When the building was built in 1873, it housed his soda pop factory, Covington Bottling Works, which is reflected in the bubbly theme of another suite.
In 1886, the space was repurposed. Kenton County Historical Society records show it was divided to house a chapter of the African American Odd Fellows on the third floor and a pickle factory on the first and second. Of course, guests can lodge in rooms dedicated to these histories, too.
Ownership changed hands every few years. The previous owners got the place in 1995 and used it for storage. Then, real estate developer Tony Milburn came along.
For years, he gazed at the building from his office. He adored it.
"It's got all of these wonderful scars," Milburn said. "It's had a rough life, but that's kind of what makes it."
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Even though it wasn't for sale, the building became Milburn's in February 2019 with a $1.9 million offer to its previous owners. He had a vision. He wanted this to be a beacon of tourism as a hotel.
Milburn enlisted Neat Suites owners Edward Feldmann and Jeremiah Hines to manage the hotel. Their business is all about maintaining short-term rentals. Pandemic and all, they worked to make it happen.
They brought in contractors to rehab the building into working order. There was water damage. Lots of it. That was the first thing to fix. Then they fixed the floors, walls, elevator, steelwork and just about everything else.
While the contractors took care of the functionality of the building, interior designer Mandy Lehman strategized the aesthetics. With complete creative control, it took her a year to collect all of the decor to get the hotel looking just right.
In the end, it was just what Milburn hoped for. His vision had come to life.
"It's wonderful to see people in these old buildings, enjoying them and appreciating them," Milburn said.
Interested customers can book stays on Airbnb, Vrbo, Marriott and the Neat Suites website, theneatsuites.com.
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