Upper Peninsula Brewing Company Building
Encyclopedia
The Upper Peninsula Brewing Company Building is an office building located at the intersection of Meeske Street and US 41
in Marquette, Michigan
. It is also known as the Charles Meeske House. The structure served as the home and office of brewer Charles Meeske, secretary-treasurer and later president of the company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
near a natural spring, changing the name to "Concordia Brewery" in the process. Rublein built a series of frame buildings on the site which including ponds, outdoor seating and an area for live entertainment, replicating a German Biergarten.
However, Rublein soon got out of the beer business, and in 1879 sold the brewery to Peter White
. White, in turn, leased the operation to a pair of brewers from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, Charles Meeske and Reiner Hoch. Under their leadership, the brewery prospered. Within two years, the partners found that their manufacturing couldn't meet demand, so in 1881 they built a second brewery in Negaunee, with Hoch taking personal charge of the Negaunee plant and Meeske remaining at the Marquette brewery. The next year, they had made enough money to buy the operation from White. With their purchase, Meeske and Hoch formed a company with Hoch as president, Meeske as secretary-treasurer, and two other men filling out the board of directors.
In the 1890s, Meeske replaced the earlier frame structures at the Marquette plant with a complex of sandstone buildings, constructed to resemble small castles. The 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) complex included warehouses, residences, a tower, and a bottling plant. Meeske retained the German Biergarten landscaping the Rublein had initiated. The structure at the corner of Meeske and US41 was built in 1894, and served as Meeske's home and office, as well as the entrance to the brewery grounds.
In 1895, the brewery had a production capacity of between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels per year, sold under the name of Drei Kaiser (Three Kings) beer. With the onset of World War I
in 1913, the name was changed to "Castle Brew."
Local prohibition groups pressured Marquette County to enact dry ordinances in 1916, four years before the beginning of country-wide Prohibition
. When these ordinances were passed, the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company ended its beer production and went out of business, and Meeske moved to Duluth, Minnesota
.
After the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company folded, the stone buildings in the complex were used as warehouses for a trucking firm. However, most of the buildings were eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair. Meeske's office building was more heavily utilized, serving as a rock shop, a law firm, and an antique shop. In 1974 and 1975 most of the buildings were demolished, saving only the office building and a horse barn along Meeske Street that is now part of Jilbert's Dairy. Offices for Detroit and Northern Savings Bank were built on the site. In 1980, Meeske’s office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, and in 1982 the structure was purchased by Humboldt Ridge and restored. The building is currently home to the Marquette law firm Pence & Numinen, P.C.
for two years where he worked as a foreman in a brewery. Meeske then moved to Milwaukee, where he opened a brewery along with his brothers, Gustave and Otto, and businessman Reiner Hoch. After three years of partnership, Meeske and Hoch bought out the other partners and continued brewing as Meeske & Hoch. In 1876, Meeske married Amelia Heineman, with whom he had three children. In 1878, Meeske and Hoch sold their Milwaukee brewery to a Chicago firm and moved to Marquette, where they took over the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company, with Meeske serving as secretary-treasurer. The two also bought a nearby milling company. In 1881, the firm opened a second plant in Negaunee; Hoch took personal control of the Negaunee plant while Meeske remained at the Marquette site. In addition to the brewery, Meeske was also connected to the Ishpeming Street Railway Company and the Marquette Savings Bank, as well as a number of mines.. When Reiner Hoch left Marquette, Meeske took over the presidency of the company. When prohibition ordinances were enacted in Marquette County in 1916, Meeske moved to Duluth, Minnesota
to join Reiner Hoch at his Duluth Brewing and Malting Company.
, where he founded the Duluth Brewing and Malting Company. The company remained in business through Prohibition and the Depression, and was eventually led by Charles Meeske's son Carl.
U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
in Marquette, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
. It is also known as the Charles Meeske House. The structure served as the home and office of brewer Charles Meeske, secretary-treasurer and later president of the company. 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...
in 1980.
Structure Description
The single structure remaining from the 1894 complex is Meeske's home and office. It is a vernacular, two-story rectangular Romanesque Revival structure built of variegated, rough-cut sandstone. The structure has a stone chimney and crenelated parapets. The front entrance is recessed under an arched portico. The flat roof is encircled by a dentiled cornice with the initials "U.P.B.Co." carved in stone. The building originally had a tunnel leading to the brewery, allowing Meeske to ignore a law prohibiting a person from entering a brewery after sundown.History
German brewer George Rublein immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century, arriving in Marquette in 1849, not long after the city itself was founded. Rublein founded the Franklin Brewery just outside Marquette. The brewery burned down twice, and in 1875 Rublein moved his operation to what is now the corner of Meeske Street and US 41U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
near a natural spring, changing the name to "Concordia Brewery" in the process. Rublein built a series of frame buildings on the site which including ponds, outdoor seating and an area for live entertainment, replicating a German Biergarten.
However, Rublein soon got out of the beer business, and in 1879 sold the brewery to Peter White
Peter White (Michigan)
Peter Quintard White was one of the original settlers of Marquette, Michigan. He was a banker, businessman, real estate developer, and a philanthropist; and was involved in a number of the area's iron mining-related businesses, including acting as a director the Cleveland Iron Company...
. White, in turn, leased the operation to a pair of brewers from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Charles Meeske and Reiner Hoch. Under their leadership, the brewery prospered. Within two years, the partners found that their manufacturing couldn't meet demand, so in 1881 they built a second brewery in Negaunee, with Hoch taking personal charge of the Negaunee plant and Meeske remaining at the Marquette brewery. The next year, they had made enough money to buy the operation from White. With their purchase, Meeske and Hoch formed a company with Hoch as president, Meeske as secretary-treasurer, and two other men filling out the board of directors.
In the 1890s, Meeske replaced the earlier frame structures at the Marquette plant with a complex of sandstone buildings, constructed to resemble small castles. The 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) complex included warehouses, residences, a tower, and a bottling plant. Meeske retained the German Biergarten landscaping the Rublein had initiated. The structure at the corner of Meeske and US41 was built in 1894, and served as Meeske's home and office, as well as the entrance to the brewery grounds.
In 1895, the brewery had a production capacity of between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels per year, sold under the name of Drei Kaiser (Three Kings) beer. With the onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1913, the name was changed to "Castle Brew."
Local prohibition groups pressured Marquette County to enact dry ordinances in 1916, four years before the beginning of country-wide Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. When these ordinances were passed, the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company ended its beer production and went out of business, and Meeske moved to Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
After the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company folded, the stone buildings in the complex were used as warehouses for a trucking firm. However, most of the buildings were eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair. Meeske's office building was more heavily utilized, serving as a rock shop, a law firm, and an antique shop. In 1974 and 1975 most of the buildings were demolished, saving only the office building and a horse barn along Meeske Street that is now part of Jilbert's Dairy. Offices for Detroit and Northern Savings Bank were built on the site. In 1980, Meeske’s office 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...
, and in 1982 the structure was purchased by Humboldt Ridge and restored. The building is currently home to the Marquette law firm Pence & Numinen, P.C.
Charles Meeske
Charles Meeske was born in 1850 in Swinemünde in Prussia, and studied brewing under his father's tutelage. After his apprenticeship, Meeske served for three years in the German army. In 1871, Meeske emigrated to the United States, settling in Oshkosh, WisconsinOshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
for two years where he worked as a foreman in a brewery. Meeske then moved to Milwaukee, where he opened a brewery along with his brothers, Gustave and Otto, and businessman Reiner Hoch. After three years of partnership, Meeske and Hoch bought out the other partners and continued brewing as Meeske & Hoch. In 1876, Meeske married Amelia Heineman, with whom he had three children. In 1878, Meeske and Hoch sold their Milwaukee brewery to a Chicago firm and moved to Marquette, where they took over the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company, with Meeske serving as secretary-treasurer. The two also bought a nearby milling company. In 1881, the firm opened a second plant in Negaunee; Hoch took personal control of the Negaunee plant while Meeske remained at the Marquette site. In addition to the brewery, Meeske was also connected to the Ishpeming Street Railway Company and the Marquette Savings Bank, as well as a number of mines.. When Reiner Hoch left Marquette, Meeske took over the presidency of the company. When prohibition ordinances were enacted in Marquette County in 1916, Meeske moved to Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
to join Reiner Hoch at his Duluth Brewing and Malting Company.
Reiner Hoch
Reiner Hoch was born near Cologne, Germany in 1851; his family emigrated to Waukesha County, Wisconsin, the next year. Hoch grew up on the family farm, and when he was eighteen attended business college in Milwaukee. After graduation, he entered the beer-bottling business with his brother-in-law, and then entered a partnership in a brewery with Charles Meeske and his two brothers. Hoch married Mathilda Geele in 1878, with whom he had three children. The same year, Hoch and Meeske moved to Marquette to run the Upper Peninsula Brewing Company, with Hoch eventually taking over the firm's Negaunee plant. Hoch had additional business interests, including a furniture company and the Negaunee and Ishpeming Street Railway. In 1896, Reiner Hoch moved to Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, where he founded the Duluth Brewing and Malting Company. The company remained in business through Prohibition and the Depression, and was eventually led by Charles Meeske's son Carl.