|
 |
Harrisburg has a strong brewing tradition dating to the 1700’s. At one time, Harrisburg produced much of the beer for the region. Prohibition forced most breweries out of business. The last brewery, Graupner’s Brewery, survived prohibition but closed May 14, 1951, exactly 46 years prior to the opening of ABC’s brewpub. Graupner’s was located one block behind the present Appalachian Brewing Company. ABC is proud to be Harrisburg’s first brewery in 46 years.
Now the drought is over with the return of fine brewing to Harrisburg.
Our brewery, which is contained in a three-story brick and heavy timber structure, was built circa 1915. In the 1920’s and 30’s, the Auchenbach Printing Co. occupied the site. The lagering room portion of the brewery dates to 1890, when it was owned by the Harrisburg Passenger Railway Co. In the 1930’s, the building was almost completely destroyed by fire. Originally a four-story structure, it was rebuilt at that time to the present three stories. During the 1930’s the building was used as an office building for the Works Project Administration. A WPA certificate found in the wall during renovation refers to this as the Moorehead Building. Aircraft parts were fabricated and warehoused here during WWII. Aircraft mechanics were trained next door for the war effort. More recently, building materials and auto parts were warehoused and distributed.
A fire in March 1993 rendered the building useless. The leaking roof rotted large areas of the flooring and some of the massive wood beams. Most of the windows were broken and none of the utilities were useable.
Restoration began on July 4, 1995. The interior was in such disrepair that it was hard to know where to start. The restoration required sandblasting the entire interior to remove fire and smoke damage and the years of paint from the brick and wood. Literally miles of damaged, obsolete electric and plumbing were removed - some of which dated to the 1920’s. The massive wood beams were restored and the steel beams and concrete columns sanded and painted. Extensive floor repairs returned the hardwood floors to their original warmth - a testament to their durability. It took two years of work to gut the building, renovate the first floor and parts of the second floor, and build the brewing operations. The brewery was beautifully restored with much painstaking restoration performed by the four owners and their friends; affectionately known as Friends of the Brewery. It may have been the free beer that kept the friends coming back, but, more likely, their much-appreciated dedication.
ABC began operations in January 1997. The first batch was perfect and released into the Harrisburg market in February. That’s an affirmation of the abilities of the brewers: a newly installed brewery (originating on the other side of the continent) in a newly renovated building that produces an excellent beer - the first time!
At 50,000 square feet, ABC is one of the largest microbrewery/brewpubs in the nation. Throughout the brewery, antique brick walls, massive wood beams, hardwood floors and ceilings provide a warmth and inner glow rivaled only by the beer itself.
|
|
|
