Texas' Oldest Brewery
Last weekend I took the opportunity to again visit the Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill historical sites in La Grange, TX. After a briefing from the TPWD officer on duty we took a little walk around and soaked in some pretty heavy historical vibes and learned a bit in the process. It is a powerful place, especially around the tomb with the Colorado river in the background. And the amount of stone they pulled out of the sandstone bluff is AMAZING, along with the masterful stonework that still holds up to this day. If you get a chance I highly recommend checking this place out!
Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept page:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/monument_hill_and_kreische_brewery/
BeerHistory page:
http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/texasfirst.shtml
My pictures:
Layout of the brewery:
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1043.jpg)
The same angle and perspective, but todays view:
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1044.jpg)
Kettle - they built fire here to boil the wort in large copper pots
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1038.jpg)
Ventilation to the lower levels of the brewery
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1033.jpg)
Staircase into lower brewery - check out that stonework!!
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1036.jpg)
Some detail on that archway
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1037.jpg)
Most of the brewery proper.. can you imaging carving that out of the sandstone bedrock, and then dry stacking it back in like that?
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1039.jpg)
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1040.jpg)
Beginning of the water resoivoir, the entire system was built around gravity and letting water flow from one process to the next. Not exactly any water pumps in 1860.
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1041.jpg)
an old grain mill
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1030.jpg)
with teeth!
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1029.jpg)
His homestead and smokehouse
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1024.jpg)
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1027.jpg)
and monument angel:
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1018.jpg)
the monument overlooks the colorado from atop the bluffs in La Grange.
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1019.jpg)
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1023.jpg)
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1021.jpg)
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Kreische%20Brewery/_thumbs/640x480-img_1020.jpg)
Very cool! Thanks muldoon. :)
Wow! It's amazing what the old timers were able to do with little more than teeth and fingernails. Amazing work. The history is sobering and thought provoking, to say the least. Thanks for sharing!