Southwestern Brewery and Ice Company facts for kids
|
Southwestern Brewery and Ice Company
|
|
Southwestern Brewery, south and east elevations
|
|
| Location | 601 Commercial St. NE Albuquerque, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Built | 1899 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001807 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | March 30, 1978 |
The Southwestern Brewery and Ice Company is a very old building in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It used to be a place where beer was made and ice was produced. This historic building is located near the BNSF railroad tracks in East Downtown. It was built in 1899. This makes it one of the few buildings from the 1800s that are still standing in the downtown area.
Contents
A Look Back: The Brewery's Story
The Southwestern Brewery started in 1888. It was founded by two people named Don and Harry Rankin. Later, Jacob and Henry Loebs took over the business.
A Big Business in the Early 1900s
By the early 1900s, this company was very important to Albuquerque. It was one of the biggest employers in the city. Many people worked there. Their main product was a beer called Glorieta Beer. This beer was sold all over the southwestern United States.
How Prohibition Changed Things
In 1917, a new law called Prohibition came into effect across the state. This law made it illegal to make or sell alcoholic drinks. Because of this, the company had to stop making beer.
However, the company also made ice. Making ice was still allowed and very useful. So, the company continued to make ice and stayed in business.
New Owners and Closing Down
The company changed owners several times after 1948. But it kept making ice for most of the 1900s. Finally, the Southwestern Brewery and Ice Company closed its doors in 1997.
Becoming a Historic Landmark
The brewery building is important because of its history. It was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1975. This means it's recognized as a special historical place in New Mexico.
Then, in 1978, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places across the whole country that are important to history.
In 1998, a fire damaged part of the building. The old cold storage and mechanical building was destroyed. The main brewery building also had some small damage.
