Valparaiso, IN– On October 14, Journeyman Distillery opened its second location in Valparaiso, Indiana, after a restoration project designed to honor both history and modern technology. The distillery is housed in a renovated 140,000 square-foot factory warehouse, parts of which are over a century old. It is steeped in manufacturing history having served as home to the area’s first post-Civil War woolen mills, then later a wagon and carriage company, soap company, pin factory, and most recently a windshield wiper factory. The distillery owners wanted the building’s history preserved as they transitioned the space into an entertainment venue with a distillery, brewery, restaurant, whiskey garden, event spaces, and more.
As part of the renovation process, the dated existing fire sprinkler system was taken out of service and fire sprinklers (some dating back to the 1920s) were removed., A new system was installed among the old, disconnected piping and dry valves, which were were left in place to maintain the distillery’s historic aesthetic.
Keith Eggert, project executive for the Chesterton, Indiana, branch of Hill Fire Protection, noted that historical restoration is standard in the industry. “We have worked in many older buildings that were renovated, and there are many challenges and surprises you run into. Working with the general contractor and architect when needed was important,” he said. “There were ceilings that had to change and mechanical systems that had to be modified due to existing building challenges, but that is typical on a job like this. The design and survey are critical when getting involved in a project of this nature.”
In the interest of public safety, the Valparaiso Fire Department requested that any out-of-service fire and life-safety system equipment have its identifying markings removed. Additionally, it was suggested to hang signs on the original risers, labeling them as ‘Spirits’ and ‘Whiskey’ to reinforce their artistic versus protective value.
Tim Stites, Division Chief and Fire Marshal for the Valparaiso Fire Department was responsible for reviewing the fire sprinkler design and conducting inspections of the building. He said it was a brilliant idea to both pay respect to the past and modernize the building for the safety of patrons and staff.
“I thought it was good that they wanted to keep the old industrial look of the building and then incorporate some modern aspects into it for fire protection because, obviously, it is a distillery, so we do have to worry about those types of things,” Stites said.
When Journeyman Distiller owner Bill Welter first saw the building, he knew it would require much attention due to its large size and old age. However, he described the fire sprinkler retrofit process as smooth and seamless despite having to install an entirely new system throughout the building.
“Obviously, providing safety and security for our staff and patrons, if God forbid there is a fire, there’s a lot of confidence in the fire suppression system. It will provide the necessary support to control or extinguish the fire and undoubtedly keep it at bay,” Welter said, noting that extra protection allows the local fire department added time to do its job.
“I think the fire suppression system adds a lot,” Welter said. “So, it’s kind of a raw factory building; we have a lot of the original bones of the building that are still there. I think the suppression system not only provides a necessary function but contributes to the look and feel of the factory. It’s almost part of the aesthetics and one of those things where because there’s no drop ceiling or something like that, you see the system fully exposed, and I think that’s a curiosity to people and something they quite enjoy.”
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