Blue Grass Inn
Southgate, Kentucky
Kentucky Post, Saturday, 29 February 1908, page 5
NEW HOTEL
The partially built Blue Grass Inn at Southgate, south of Newport, is in the hands of a receiver. A petition was filed late yesterday in the Campbell Circuit Court by Thomas K Ransom against the Blue Grass Inn Co. in which he sets out that T N Fordyce and Cornelius Burkhardt had entered into a contract with the late Anna Berry and husband to erect a suburban hotel at a cost of $20,000; that they were to pay to them $13,400 within five years, but so far have paid no part of it and as there are many contractors entitled to mechanic lien and the defendants are unable to raise the money to complete the hotel, they ask that it be turned over to a receiver.
Louis Ireton, of Cincinnati, attorney for the defendants, swore to the affidavit and an order was then made by Judge Yungblut appointing Samuel E Anderson as receiver with power to complete the hotel. An order was also made which enjoins all persons from prosecuting any further action.
The Blue Grass Inn, which was started over a year ago by a stock company of Cincinnati and Newport citizens, was nearing completion last fall, when on account of the financial stringency many of the stockholders were unable to meet their assessments and the work had to be abandoned.
The hotel is being built of stone and when completed will be one of the finest in Campbell county.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 19 May 1910, page 5
NEWPORT
The mandatory injunction by which it was sought to prevent the opening of the Blue Grass Inn in Southgate, back of Newport, was refused late yesterday by Judge Youngblut, of the Campbell Circuit Court and the opening of the new hostelry will take place Thursday evening on schedule time. The suit was brought by the Blue Grass Realty Company, consisting principally of Cincinnati capitalist, who were the original owners, against Shaler Berry, Thomas Ni Fordyce and E O Love.
The Blue Grass Inn, which was planned and erected over two years ago by the late Col. A S Berry, at a cost of $80,000, has been in considerable litigation, following the financial stringency over a year ago and was never in operation. The building is said to be one of the finest in this section of the country.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Friday, 20 May 1910, page 11
Hundreds of business men of Newport, Cincinnati and Covington attended the formal opening of the Blue Grass Inn near Southgate, on the Evergreen car line last night. The building was open for inspection for the first time and supper was served from 6 to 12 pm.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 30 June 1910, page 5
The Knights of the Round Table of Newport, one of the leading literary and debating societies in Northern Kentucky elected officers for the year. The installation will take place at the Blue Grass Inn, Southgate, July 11, when a banquet and big social session will be had.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday, 21 September 1910, page 11
The Blue Grass Realty and Hotel Company, operating the Blue Grass Inn roadhouse and inn in the Kentucky Highlands, yesterday made a deed of assignment to Dr. Shaler Berry. Dr, Berry has a claim of $27,000 against the property as part purchase money of the grounds on which the building is situated. The hotel, which is a beautiful blue limestone structure, was sold at forced sale about a year ago by the contractors and others. Attorney Brent Spence represented both the assignors and the assignee.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday, 2 November 1910, page 9
In the Circuit Court yesterday all matters in controversy having been amicably adjusted out of Court, the suit of the Blue Grass Royalty Company vs. Thomas N Fordyce and others was dismissed settled. By the terms of the settlement arrived at yesterday, Mr. Fordyce become the sole owner of the what is known as the Blue Grass Inn and will operate the place the year round.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 1 February 1911, page 5
T N Fordyce and wife to the Fordyce-Mills Realty & Hotel Co. the property known as the Blue Grass Inn, Southgate; $1 &c.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 12 June 1912, page 2
One of the most charming social functions of the season was in evidence last night when the Ludlow High School Alumna entertained the class of 1912 with a supper and dance at the Blue Grass Inn, Southgate Ky.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Monday, 8 February 1915, page 7
Fire, supposed to have originated in a smoke house on the third floor, close to the roof, or defective electrical wiring, almost completely gutted the beautiful Blue Grass Inn, on the Alexandria Pike, a mile south of Newport yesterday afternoon. The blaze was discovered about 1 pm and by 4 pm it had practically burned itself out and a loss of $100,000 had been sustained b the Fordyce Mills Realty Company of New York and Cincinnati, owners of the business. The firm carried no insurance.
On the third floor of the spacious stone building, which occupies a commanding position on the hills overlooking the Alexandria Pike were the sleeping rooms for guests and employees. The beautiful ballroom, furnished in the old mission style, and the dining room and offices were located on the second floor. Around the second floor a spacious corridor was used as an outside dining room when the weather permitted. On the first floor was the bar, kitchen and commissary.
Miss Anna Smith, housekeeper at the inn, lost all of her clothing and the savings of years. She was unable to get to the third floor of the building.
The Blue Grass Inn was famous as one of the most beautiful road houses between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. Projected seven years ago, it was built under the name Blue Grass Inn Company. The late Congressman Albert S Berry of Newport, was one of the projectors of the inn. He leased it several times but this manner of operating the property proved a failure.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Saturday, 13 February 1915, page 10
STOPPED BY FIRE
It developed yesterday that the fire that gutted the Blue Grass Inn last Sunday afternoon put an end to attempts that were being made to compromise the litigation in three Courts between the Fordece-Mills Realty Company, owners of the realty and the Weber Catering Company that operated the property for some time under a lease. It appears that the catering company had an agreement with the Fordyce-Mills Company by which it was to be reimbursed for completing the third floor of the building.
In the litigation by the owners of the property to enforce an accounting of the personality the Weber Company produced this agreement and secured a judgment for $3300 for the work done on the third floor. At the time the fire broke out negotiations were on to compromise these claims. Now that the building has been practically destroyed, it is unlikely that an agreement can be reached. Mills, one of the owners of the realty, has a mortgage on the plant for $40,000. Until the litigation between the Weber Company and the owners of the property can be settled, the future of the Inn is in doubt.