A. Smith Bowman Distillery
Encyclopedia
The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is a distillery that was originally based on the Bowman family's Sunset Hills Farm in Fairfax County, Virginia
, USA, in what later became the planned community of Reston
. It was founded in 1934, after the end of Prohibition
, by Abram Smith Bowman and his sons, Smith and DeLong.
In February 1988, it relocated to Spotsylvania County, near Fredericksburg, into a former FMC Corp. cellophane plant at One Bowman Drive, where operation continues as a microdistillery.
The current A. Smith Bowman distillery is part of the Sazerac Company
, which is a large privately-owned liquor producer with headquarters in New Orleans.
It produces Virginia Gentleman
bourbon and other products including non-bourbon whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin.
The building in which the distillery originally operated was constructed circa 1892, serving as the town hall for Wiehle, as well as a church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
by the National Park Service
in 1999, and has been the subject of several rezoning applications.
A proposal to construct condominiums on the site was approved September 24, 2007.
An earlier version of the proposal mentioned 8 units as new buildings (on 0.23 acres),
in addition to constructing 3 units within the historic structure,
while noting that it replaced a planned use of the structure as cultural center (i.e., for the Greater Reston Arts Center). Its address is 1875 Old Reston Avenue, Reston, VA, 20190.
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, USA, in what later became the planned community of Reston
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
. It was founded in 1934, after the end of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, by Abram Smith Bowman and his sons, Smith and DeLong.
In February 1988, it relocated to Spotsylvania County, near Fredericksburg, into a former FMC Corp. cellophane plant at One Bowman Drive, where operation continues as a microdistillery.
The current A. Smith Bowman distillery is part of the Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company
The Sazerac Company is a large privately held and family-operated alcoholic beverages company with headquarters in Metairie, Louisiana.It owns and produces a large and diversified portfolio of beverage brands, and it owns and operates a number of distilling companies...
, which is a large privately-owned liquor producer with headquarters in New Orleans.
It produces Virginia Gentleman
Virginia Gentleman
Virginia Gentleman is a brand of bourbon whiskey. Unlike most other bourbons, it is not distilled in Kentucky but in the adjoining state of Virginia...
bourbon and other products including non-bourbon whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin.
The building in which the distillery originally operated was constructed circa 1892, serving as the town hall for Wiehle, as well as a church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1999, and has been the subject of several rezoning applications.
A proposal to construct condominiums on the site was approved September 24, 2007.
An earlier version of the proposal mentioned 8 units as new buildings (on 0.23 acres),
in addition to constructing 3 units within the historic structure,
while noting that it replaced a planned use of the structure as cultural center (i.e., for the Greater Reston Arts Center). Its address is 1875 Old Reston Avenue, Reston, VA, 20190.
External links
- Bowman Distillery, June 1966 Mason Archival Repository Service
- Bowman Distillery Pond in Winter," Undated Mason Archival Repository Service
- For Sale June 10, 2008 - current Restonian
- A. Smith Bowman Distillery Web Site
- Sazerac Company Web Site