Kamm and Schellinger Brewery, Mishawaka Indiana

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One of the extensive and important business enterprises which contributed to the material growth and prominence of Mishawaka is the Kamm and Schellinger Brewing Company, whose extensive establishment was one of the industrial features of the City of Mishawaka. This brewery was established in 1850 by John Wagner and, at that time, was but a small and primitive plant.

In 1870, the brewery was purchased by Adolph Kamm and Clemens Dick, who came from Toledo, Ohio, and the new firm of Dick and Kamm immediately enlarged and improved the plant and commenced the manufacture of a superior quality of beer which at once became popular and increased in demand.

In 1880 the senior partner, Mr. Dick, disposed of his interest and Mr. Kamm associated himself with Nicholas Schellinger, his brother-in-law, and the firm became Kamm & Schellinger. Additional improvements were made and the business continually increased until in 1883 the Kamm & Schellinger Brewing Company was incorporated with a capital of $65,000.00. Adolph Kamm was president of the company; Nicholas Schellinger, treasurer, and Laura Kamm, the accomplished daughter of Mr. Kamm, secretary.

Since that time, extensive improvements were made and a powerhouse was erected. Every modern appliance available at that time adapted for the brewery business was installed, and an artificial ice plant with a capacity of 85 tons was placed in the building. The cellars and vaults were admirably arranged and the bottling department was one of the most perfect of its kind in the state. The output of the brewery was about 30,000 barrels and the demand was constantly increasing and the territory was being extended.

The company manufactured the celebrated brand of "Pilsner" beer which had become famous throughout South Bend, Mishawaka, and northern Indiana and Michigan. The "export" beers bottled by this company took rank with the first beers manufactured in America and were popular wherever known.

Mr. Rudolph Kamm was the foreman or brewmaster of the company and was regarded as one of the best master brewers in the state.

Altogether, the brewery of the Kamm & Schellinger Company was one of the best-equipped establishments in the country, and it became one of the important industrial institutions of Mishawaka. The officers were well-known businessmen in the city and were identified with its interests for years. They were well-known and highly esteemed in the community and their business was conducted upon the highest plane of business honor and progressive enterprise. The brewery ceased operations in 1951.

Building Description

The Kamm and Schellinger Brewery consists of three buildings, located along the St. Joseph River in Mishawaka. The Brewery consists of three structures; the original Brewery Building (A), the Stable Building (B), and the Boiler House (C).

The original brewery building (A), which housed the Kamm and Schellinger Brewery operations and offices, is of mill construction with brick exterior walls and an interesting rubble stone foundation wall. The plan of the building is generally rectangular with some irregularities due to alterations made to accommodate the changing technology. The plan is divided into three parallel sections separated by interior brick walls with parapets at the roofs which are essentially flat. Since its original construction, buildings have been constructed on both sides (the warehouse building, Circa 1870, and the brewery additions, Circa 1875).

The building is four stories high with the front symmetrically pierced by narrow double hung windows with flat arched heads on either side of a larger central window at the stairwell on each floor. The brickwork appears to be Chicago common brick painted red. The entire front is topped by an elaborate metal cornice and pediment framing the date 1853. Over the center roof is a 12-foot roof vent or machine area topped by a colonnaded cupola about six feet high.

The interior of the building is undistinguished except for vestiges of the old belt drive wheels and shafts and a notable below-grade charcoal room formed of a brick vault about 12 feet high, 16 feet wide and 40 feet long. This room was originally used to create charcoal for the brewery filters.

Original stairways, hatchways, etc., have been modified to provide a protected fireproof stairway giving access to the various levels. The structure is now being used as office space with the interior brick and construction exposed to maintain the basic character of the building.

The Ice House, said to have been built by the brewery workers, has exterior brick walls with a trussed wood roof construction. Inside, a row of steel columns runs down the center to help support the trusses and a heavy timber track base for an original overhead crane. The crane is no longer in existence, but the trusses and track rails remain.

Adjoining the Ice House is a three-story building of steel and tile arch construction, the top floor still containing the brine piping for the manufacture or storage of ice. The Ice House and adjoining building have been converted to reuse as a restaurant.

Continuing to the east are a series of added spaces of generally steel and arch construction and subdivided into parallel spaces by rubble foundations and brick walls. The exterior front walls are of painted brick with windows placed in random patterns as required for some of the original interior functions. Inside are many interconnected levels with varied ceiling heights and spatial qualities.

To the north is a relatively modern building, Circa 1910, of red brick without windows, 4 stories high, rectangular in plan, with a penthouse. Interior construction is steel frame and reinforced concrete. The roof is flat. Interior spaces are structural in expression with high, 14-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, and structural steel.

To the east of the original Brewery is a one-story with basement building, Circa 1920, with steel joist roof, wood floors and exterior red brick walls. This is characteristically an unadorned warehouse building being used as a sales area practically in its original state.

The Stable Building (B): This building, "L"-shaped in plan, was originally designed to house the draft horses and beer wagons (Circa 1855).

The main leg of the "L" is rectangular in plan with red brick exterior walls and a high-trussed second-floor area used for feed storage above the horse stalls on the ground floor below. There are three ventilating cupolas located at the peak of the roof.

Openings are high double-hung windows set in flat-arched openings. High small windows were originally set above the horse stalls. There is an interesting corbelled brick rake trim at the ends of the building.

The other leg of the "L" appears to be a later addition. It has a flat roof and seems to have housed a harness and repair shop adjoining the main building and four stalls for the beer wagons. Openings to these stalls are flat arched openings, the arches and parapets emphasized by using a white brick pattern in contrast to the red brick.

Doors which have deteriorated were originally of diagonal planks with sliding hardware at the tack room and hinged openings to the stalls. The openings are now part of an arcade. Two stairways have been added for public safety, but the essential character is unchanged.

The Boiler House (C): The old Boiler House (Circa 1870), built to supply steam and power to the brewery operations, is rectangular in plan, one high bay story designed to house three large boilers and the accessory pumps and electric power generators.

The building walls are of red brick supporting a steel trussed hip roof with two dormers, one to the east without openings and one to the south with an interesting half-round window and carved stone keystone. Other windows are arched and divided into small panes and surrounded by interesting brick arches recessed and corbelling. The structure is topped by a classic profiled metal cornice. A beveled stone belt course runs partially around the base of the building.

To the south side of the building is a formed brick stack 262 feet tall with corbelled brick and projected belt courses near the top. The stack was originally connected to the building with a sheet metal housing, since rusted away. A brick extension matching the character of the original building has been added to the building to the west to house the facilities for a small twin movie theatre.