William J. Gerst (of the Wm. Gerst Brewing Co.) purchased the Vine Hill estate in 1900 from Capt. John W. Morton for $14,195. In 1905 Gerst built a three-story barn and started rearing thoroughbreds. The local brewer/turfman’s prize horse, Donau, would win the Kentucky Derby in 1910.

The family sold the estate in 1941 to make way for Vultee Aircraft’s employee housing. The home was used as a community center for soldiers during WWII and later razed for government housing.