Colorado Real Estate Journal -
The historic Old Louisville Inn will continue to play a vital role as a gathering spot in downtown Louisville. Clover Clan LLC, a group that includes longtime operator Garrett McCarthy, sold the property for $600,000 to Historic 740 Front Street LLC, a partnership that plans to seek historic designation for the property and update it for a new restaurant. McCarthy is a partner in the new ownership group. The 2,653-square-foot building at 740 Front St. has been a saloon and restaurant since it was constructed for Tivoli Beer agent E.J. Di Francia in 1904. It is the last of more than a dozen saloons that lined Front Street during Louisville’s coal mining era, and it includes what is purported to be the oldest bar in Colorado. Manufactured by the Brunswick Factory Co. in Iowa using cherry, birch and mahogany, the bar was used in Leadville for a decade before being moved to Louisville around the turn of the century. Di Francia and related Italian families operated the restaurant and saloon through the 1940s, according to the Louisville History Museum. The use continued under different ownerships. Clover Clan acquired it in the 1994 and operated the Old Louisville Inn until late September. In addition to a major renovation and rehabilitation of the existing structure, the new owners plan to add onto the south side of the building to provide additional dining area and new restrooms. After almost 20 years of running the establishment, McCarthy said he is ready to turn operations over to someone else. “It has long been a dream of mine to see this beautiful old building properly preserved and restored and yet still be comfortable and modern enough to thrive,” McCarthy said. “We believe our renovation plans and the new addition will accomplish that, and we are grateful to the city and the historic preservation commission for the opportunity to explore the benefit of landmarking the building. “We envision that once the improvements are complete, the business will open with a new operator and under a new name, and I think that will be good for it. We are talking to several interested groups, but don’t anticipate firming up anything until we are a little further along in the construction and landmarking processes,” McCarthy continued. “I am very excited that this iconic building will finally get the facelift and improvement it needs. Hopefully it will continue to operate as an important community gathering place for another hundred years.” Historic 740 Front Street LLC expects to have a new restaurant in the building next spring.