Muessel-Drewry Brewery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Muessel-Drewry's Brewery
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Muessel-Drewry's Brewery, November 2013
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1408 Elwood Ave., South Bend, Indiana |
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| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001543 |
| Added to NRHP | December 28, 2000 |
The Muessel-Drewry Brewery is a historic group of buildings in South Bend, Indiana. It's located near Portage Road and Elwood Avenue. This site was once a busy brewery, a place where drinks like beer were made. It's also listed as a historic district because of its important past.
The brewery complex grew between about 1865 and 1949. It includes different industrial buildings made of brick from various time periods. There are also large grain silos and a tall smoke stack. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Contents
A Look Back at the Brewery's History
The Muessel Family's Start
The story of the brewery begins with Christopher Muessel. He was an immigrant from Germany. Christopher was known for his smart ideas in making drinks. He developed new ways to brew. His company later became the Muessel Brewing Company.
The Muessel family continued to run the business. However, during the Prohibition Era, it became illegal to make or sell alcoholic drinks. The company tried to make non-alcoholic drinks, but it couldn't stay in business. It closed down in 1933.
Community Contributions
The Muessel family was very important to the growth of South Bend. They helped build many homes for their workers. They also gave land for the largest park in the area, which is now called Muessel Grove Park. They also helped create a local school, Muessel Elementary School. Both the park and the school are still used today.
The family also supported a local football team, the Muessel Brewers. A famous football coach named Knute Rockne coached this team. He led them to a perfect season. At the same time, Rockne was also the captain of the football team at the nearby University of Notre Dame.
New Owners: Drewry's and Beyond
After Prohibition ended, a Canadian company called Drewrys bought the brewery site. They started making drinks there again. From 1936 to 1972, Drewry's was the biggest distributor of drinks from any brewery in the South Bend area.
In 1972, another company, G. Heileman Brewing Company, bought Drewry's. Soon after, in September of that year, brewing stopped at the South Bend plant. Over the years, the complex had several different owners. Many parts of the site were taken apart or removed.
The Brewery Site Today
In late 2014, a new owner bought the site. In 2016, city officials in South Bend said that some of the buildings were not safe. They ordered these buildings to be taken down. Some of these structures were part of the historic district.
The owner started cleaning up the site in 2016. They removed old materials that had been left there for many years. By 2017, the necessary demolition was finished. The city then gave permission for the work to continue.
In 2019, the site was given a new name: Rockne Industrial Center. The current owner has plans to use the site for growing food. They also want to honor the Muessel family's history with a large outdoor mural. The owner hopes to work with Notre Dame to bring more of its presence back into the community. This would be in honor of Knute Rockne, one of their greatest football legends.
The site still has several historic buildings. It also has four grain silos and the original smoke stack. These remaining structures are considered safe. The owner is working to bring new jobs and industry back to the area.
