American Brewery (building) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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American Brewery
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 Location in Baltimore
Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1701 North Gay Street, Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architectural style | Middle-European Chalet |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002179 |
| Added to NRHP | May 9, 1973 |
The American Brewery is a historic building in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It's located in the Broadway East, Baltimore community. This building used to be a place where beer was made.
For about 40 years, the brewery building was empty and falling apart. But recently, it has been fixed up and looks beautiful again! Today, it is the main office for Humanim Inc. This is a group that helps people in the area with different social services.
Contents
A Look Inside the American Brewery
From Beer to Community Hub
The American Brewery was built in 1887 by John Frederick Wiessner. He was a German immigrant who came to the United States. He built it for his Wiessner Brewing Company. This brewery became one of the biggest in Maryland.
At its busiest time, the brewery had 61 workers. They worked in different jobs, like making the beer, driving delivery trucks, and bottling the drinks. The tall central tower of the building held a huge grain elevator. It could store 10,000 bushels of grain!
In 1920, a time called Prohibition started. During Prohibition, it was against the law to make or sell alcohol. This forced the brewery to close down. In 1931, the Wiessner family sold the brewery. It was bought by the American Malt Company. They updated the inside of the building. This company ran the brewery until 1973. That same year, the building was added to the National Registry of Historic Sites. This means it's an important historical place.
A New Chapter Begins
The American Brewery has now become the new home for Humanim. Humanim is a group that helps people. They are a "nonprofit" organization, which means they use their money to help others, not to make a profit for owners. Humanim got $22.5 million to fix up the American Brewery complex. They wanted to turn it into their new main office.
The city of Baltimore approved the building plans in early 2004. The work is now finished. The American Brewery is in the middle of a neighborhood in East Baltimore that needed a lot of help.
Helping the Neighborhood Grow
Humanim Inc. and other groups planned to fix up the brewery building. They wanted to turn it into a center for social and human services. It would also be Humanim's new Baltimore office.
The project had two main parts. The first part was the Brewhouse. This building was once the main place where beer was made. It is about 30,000 square feet. This part was changed into Humanim's Baltimore headquarters. Humanim has been helping people in East Baltimore for 20 years.
The second part was the Bottle Building. This building was built around 1937 and is about 60,000 square feet. It was turned into a center for groups that work in community arts, community services, and helping small businesses start. The work on the Brewhouse finished in 2008. The Bottle Building was completed in 2009.
The area around the brewery used to be very busy. But over time, it became quiet and forgotten. Many homes and buildings were empty or torn down. Even basic stores like grocery stores and restaurants disappeared. In 2006, the city of Baltimore decided to take over 200 empty properties in the area. They planned to either tear them down or fix them up.
Fixing up the American Brewery is a big step. People who plan cities, called urban planners, see the brewery as a way to bring new life to the neighborhood. Because of its central spot, large space, and cool design, the brewery can help bring new jobs and services to the area. It is hoped that these new jobs and services will encourage more people to invest. This will make life better for everyone living there now and in the future.
See Also
- American Brewery, Baltimore City, including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. MD-25, "Wiessner Brewery, 1700 North Gay Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD", 20 photos, 6 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
- HAER No. MD-25-A, "Weissner Brewery, Building Nos. 6 & 7", 9 photos, 18 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
