Pewee Valley Vet: Foley Brothers, Thompsons & Beyond
The Foley Brothers Years
Thompson's Market opened on September 4, 1943 and closed on April 19, 1967.
The Thompson Years
The Pewee Valley Vet as it appeared in 1989. Photo by Carolyn Brooks for the 1989 Central Avenue Historic District submission to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Pewee Valley Veterinary: 1972-Today
In 1972, veterinarian Gerald Meyer set up shop in the old Thompson's store. The Call of the Pewee reported:
Who would ever have guessed that Mrs. Anna Mary Thompson's former grocery store at Mt. Mercy Drive and Central Avenue would someday become the Pewee Valley Veterinary Center. Dr. Gerald Meyer dissolved his vet partnership with Dr. W.E. Bewley at Crestwood and set up his practice in the long-empty building.
1992 Fire at the Pewee Valley Veterinary
In 1992, an after-hours fire at Pewee Valley Veterinary killed 11 cats and dogs. The story by Lawrence Muhammad from the January 25, 1992 Courier-Journal:
Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze in a veterinarian's office in Pewee Valley last night, but they couldn't save the 11 animals inside the century-old red brick building.
Eight dogs and three cats died of smoke inhalation at Pewee Valley Veterinary Center at 220 Mt. Mercy Drive near the center of town, fire officials said. The animals were in a first-floor room near where fire officials believe the blaze started.
Pewee Valley's volunteer fire department, which is near the building, responded to the call at 8:13 p.m. and "within five minutes they had knocked the fire down," said Assistant Fire Chief of the Worthington volunteer department, which also responded.
He said firefighters didn't know immediately where the animals were and they died by the time firefighters found them.
"There was so much heavy smoke, they (the animals) didn't have a chance," he said. Dr. Gerald L. Meyer, who ran the practice with Dr. John Spillman, said he was trying to notify the animals' owners last night...
...The building, which dates to the 1880s and was renovated about two years ago, sustained heavy fire damage in two or three rooms on the first floor and smoke damage on the second floor, fire officials said.
Meyer said he thought all the equipment was destroyed at the office, the only veterinary office in Pewee Valley. He said he's been in practice there for 15 years.
Thirty-four firefighters from the Pewee Valley, Worthington and South Oldham department responded to the fire.
The fire began in the center of the first floor in a storage room or examining room, Cook said. The cause is under investigation.
The Pewee Valley Veterinary in July 2016: After the 1992 Fire, the Storefront was Restored to Its Original Configuration
Related Links
