A historic building is so much more than its form, materials, or decorative accents that catch the eye. Buildings hold and tell the stories of people, a community, and even an industry. I shared an image of a sign from the 1930s advertising Oertel’s Beer the other day, and a reader’s question: “what was Oertel’s?” made me think of the many ways local breweries (even before the tumult of Prohibition) impacted the landscape and economy of Louisville, Kentucky. I was first introduced to Oertel’s through its former bottling plant on Story Avenue in the Butchertown neighborhood of Louisville.
This was the circa 1912 bottling plant for Oertel’s Brewery.
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, Louisville breweries operated primarily on the local level. Beer production can even be seen as a neighborhood industry, rather than a city industry, as dozens of small neighborhood breweries produced beer that was consumed within that neighborhood. There several reasons for this very localized production model; beer was highly perishable, transporting beer by horse-drawn wagons limited distribution and many breweries combined their industrial production with on-site saloons.
An ad for Oertel’s Common beer, from https://www.leoweekly.com/2015/04/kentucky-komon-louisvilles-native-beer/
Historically, breweries in Louisville were located in neighborhoods, among commercial and residential buildings. Breweries typically included several structures, usually constructed of brick, with a few frame buildings, each of which had specific production functions. Although some structures in a brewery complex may have been built as separate units, historic Sanborn maps show that the structures were usually all connected.
Section of the 1892 Sanborn map (sheet 131) showing the Elizabeth Bauer Brewery in Butchertown.
Extant breweries may appear to be composed of one structure when in reality that one structure consists of numerous continuous structures. Buildings found within a brewery complex would of course depend on the size and scope of the company, but examples include cold storage (and ice storage) buildings, brew houses, mill houses, engine houses, mechanical plants, warehouses, beer vaults, barrel wash structures and bottling structures. The Elizabeth Bauer Brewery (seen in the Sanborn map above) shows the range of buildings and functions.
Oertel’s delivery trucks in 1944. Item no. ULPA R_08252 in the Royal Photo Company Collection, University of Louisville Photographic Archives.
The general location of Oertel’s Bottling Plant on Story Avenue has a deep brewing history. Frank Rettig began operating a brewery at 1400 Story Avenue, at the corner of Story and Webster in Butchertown in 1865. He sold the venture to Charles Hartmetz in 1873; Hartmetz ran the business until 1887.
Upon his death that year, his widow, Magdalena Hartmetz ran the brewery in conjunction with John F. Oertel, who had been brew master of the Franklin Street brewery. By 1892, Oertel owned the entire brewery, and in 1906, the Oertel Brewing Company incorporated.
Architect’s nameplate on building.
Oertel and two other men, William Rueff and Louis Bauer, owned all of the original stock. The brewery burned in 1908, was rebuilt in 1909, and in 1912, a new bottling plant was constructed at 1332 Story, on the other side of Webster Street from the brewery. The two-story, three-bay brick bottling plant for Oertel’s Brewery was designed by local architects Glaser & Schwarz. The central portion of the façade is slightly recessed from the side bays, and contain large double doors, flanked by single-light sidelights and a three pane transom. The windows to either side of the entry are paired two-over-two double-hung sash with a five-light segmentally–arched transom.
Detail of façade (try to ignore the intrusive vegetation).
The windows have terracotta sills that span the length of the bay and wrap around to the side elevations, and a full-length terracotta lintel that runs above the brickwork jackarch. The second story windows, with the exception of the central window, are also paired, two-over-two double-hung sash, with brick quionwork forming the surround. The central bay has been enclosed with glass block; brickwork forms a segmental arch above the window, which is pierced by a terracotta keystone. A heavy cornice with block modillions and egg and dart detailing runs across the side bays, while the arched false front of the central bay is topped with a terracotta parapet.
Cornice detail.
While the façade combines exuberance and skillful use of brick and terracotta, the east elevation, facing toward Webster (and facing the site of the former brewery) is the business face of the structure. The east elevation has a stepped parapet topped with terracotta and a corbelled, stepped cornice. Brick pilasters irregularly divide the bays, which are a combination of two-over-two double-hung sash and single light replacement windows.
The loading cargo bay of Oertel’s bottling plant.
The second story windows have a Greek Ear lintel formed by brickwork. The rear section of the east elevation has two shed roofs covering numerous cargo bays. This section is labeled as the “garage” on the 1929 Sanborn map. Windows in this section are utilitarian four-over-four double-hung sash with concrete sills.
Another Oertel advertisement.
Despite declaring bankruptcy in 1919, and the fallout from Prohibition, the Oertel Brewing Company remained in business throughout Prohibition by producing cereal products and soft drinks. Following Oertel’s death in 1961, the brewery was purchased by Brown Forman Distillers Corporation and continued operating until its closure in 1967.
The bottling plant, since around 2008, has been home to an events planning company.
Great piece (as usual) It is probably implied in your article but I didn’t see or missed discussion of influence German population and neighborhoods. That was certainly a big factor in Cincinnati. I was curious to learn about them since still (relatively) new to Louisville, looked up the city’s German population in Wikipedia. Heres the intro of what I learned. I’ll go looking for all those breweries. I drive by Oertel’s frequently. We need to give you a title of Kentucky’s Official Vernacular Architectural Historian. How the book on house types coming along? Cheers, David
Sorry it double space
LOUISVILLE’S GERMAN POPULATION
By the 1850s 35% of Louisville’s population would be German, totaling 18,000. Many of this number
included a few Swiss and Austrians for whom German was their native language, and would often live
amongst the Germans. This large population would introduce to Louisville two different concepts:
bilingual education, and kindergartens. By 1854, Louisville public schools taught German. By 1900,
48,000 Louisvillians were at least half-German[2]
The Germans would found many of the city’s churches. The first was St. Paul’s German Evangelical
Church in 1836. Others included St. Peter’s German Evangelical Church and St. John’s Evangelical
Church. Even the first synagogue was created by Germans, as Jewish immigrants from Germany created
Temple Adath Israel in 1838. In total, thirteen churches in Louisville specifically catered to
Germans.[3][4]
Germans would also be instrumental in food. Butchertown got its name for the various meat-packing
companies operated there by Germans, with some in Germantown as well. The most prominent of these
meat-packers would be Henry Fischer’s, whose Fischer Packing Company still exists today as a popular
local brand of meat. Throughout the city there were bakeries and confectioners of German heritage. The
German-speaking Swiss ran the nearby dairy operations.[5]
It was not entirely peaceful for the Germans in Louisville, particularly politically. The “Forty-Eighters”,
Interesting article! I had an uncle who worked for Oertel’s. I grew up in the West End 32nd & Market Street area. A case or two were always present on Catholic Holidays. Falls City beer was also on hand.
My grandpa, Buck Bauman, was a Swiss-German who owned the Buckeye Tavern at the corner of Wenzel and Main. I remember he drank Oertel’s Beer and had lots of Oertel’s signs in the bar.
I grew up in Butchertown(also known as The Point)& remember your Grandfather(we kids called Mr Buck)& Ronnie who worked @ Buckeyes as the Bartender. Children WERE allowed inside Buckeyes BUT had to enter via the “side door”/Wenzel Street entrance(NEVER under ANY circumstances via the Main St door. And…children(who were there to buy hamburgers)HAD to stand(while awaiting their orders)”left if the foot rail”. A lot of memories from the1960’s/70’s of growing up in Butchertown & Buckeyes(a long with Jacobs,Ann’s,Pearsons,Wesley House)is part of them.
My uncle Tommy drove Oertels truck #2 when they closed he drove for Dixie N then john Martin . He n my mom grew up on the point . old neighborhood along the river . before 37 flood. Their aunt owned Staleys market on story .allways lots of wonderful stories . great piece
My uncle Tommy drove truck #2 for Oertles . my mother’s brother n 6 others grew up on the original point on river. Their aunt owned Staleys market on story ave. Lots of stories were shared thru the years . thanks for great piece .