A. Smith Bowman Distillery facts for kids
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A. Smith Bowman Distillery
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The now abandoned whiskey distillery, long operated by the Bowman family.
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1875 Old Reston Avenue, Reston, Virginia |
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| Built | 1892 |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001503 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1999 |
The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is a special place where drinks like whiskey are made. It started on the Bowman family's large 7,200-acre farm in Fairfax County, Virginia. This area later became the town of Reston.
The distillery was founded in 1934 by Abram Smith Bowman and his sons. This was just one day after Prohibition ended. Prohibition was a time when making and selling alcohol was against the law in the United States.
For many years, until the 1950s, this was the only legal whiskey distillery in Virginia. They made popular drinks like Virginia Gentleman and Fairfax County bourbons. In 1988, the distillery moved to Spotsylvania County, near Fredericksburg. It is now a smaller distillery owned by the Sazerac Company.
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What the Distillery Makes Today
The A. Smith Bowman distillery business was bought in 2003 by the Sazerac Company. This is a large company that makes drinks and is based in New Orleans.
The distillery still operates today, but at a different location from where it first started. It continues to make the Virginia Gentleman bourbon. They also produce other bourbons and drinks. These include a vodka called "Deep Run" and a gin called "Sunset Hills."
Bourbons Named After Pioneers
The distillery also makes bourbon brands named after the Bowman family. These family members were pioneers in Virginia and Kentucky. Some of these bourbons include:
- Bowman Brothers Small Batch bourbon: Named after the pioneer Bowman brothers. They were sometimes called the "Four Centaurs of Cedar Creek."
- Abraham Bowman bourbon: Named after Colonel Abraham Bowman (1749–1837).
- George Bowman rum: Named after George Bowman (1699–1768).
- John J. Bowman Single Barrel bourbon: Named after Colonel John Bowman (1738–1784).
- Mary Hite Bowman Caramel Bourbon Cream Liqueur: Named after the mother of the Bowman brothers.
The Original Distillery Building
The building where the distillery first operated was built around 1892. A doctor named C.A. Max Wiehle from Philadelphia oversaw its construction. He wanted to create a town and farming community called Wiehle.
Early Uses of the Building
The first floor of the building was used as the Wiehle town hall. The second floor was home to the Wiehle Methodist Episcopal church. The building even had a large 80-pound bell and a steeple. These were later removed because people thought a distillery shouldn't look like a church.
Dr. Wiehle passed away in 1901, and his plan for the town didn't continue. The building stopped being a town hall in 1909. The church had moved to a new location in 1907. For a while, the building became a home for a family and a general store.
Becoming Part of the Bowman Farm
Abram Smith Bowman bought the building in 1927. It was part of a huge 4,000-acre property called Sunset Hills. In 1947, Bowman bought even more land. This made his property the largest privately owned land in the Washington, D.C. area.
Most of this land was sold to a real estate company in 1960. However, a 60-acre area with the distillery was sold back to Bowman's sons.
The Distillery's Start in the Building
Abram Smith Bowman was born in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1868. He started the distillery in 1934, right after Prohibition ended. The historic building first served as the distillery's warehouse. The first bourbon made there was shipped out in 1937.
As mentioned, between 1934 and the 1950s, Bowman's was the only legal whiskey distillery in Virginia.
Historic Recognition and Future Plans
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This means it is recognized as an important historic site. There have been discussions about what to do with the site.
In 2007, a plan was approved to build new homes called condominiums there. This plan included building some new units and also creating homes inside the historic building itself.
See also
- List of historic whiskey distilleries
