Building Description Renner and Weber Brewery, Mansfield Ohio
Prior to the fire and demolition:
The original portion of the brewery building dates as early as 1855 but it is completely within and undistinguishable from the present structure. The present complex grew in stages from 1883 through the early 1900's. Built into a hillside, the structure is today 160' deep and has a frontage of 30' on Fourth Street and 90' on Temple Court.
The portion fronting on East 4th St. is a 5-1/2 story section which measures 30' wide and 80' deep. The gable end faces the street. High in the gable is a circular plaque above which is the date "1900" in raised letters. Both front and rear have stepped gable ends. Above a stone foundation and stone water table there is a centered, round-arched window. Another stone course runs across the building and outlines the arch of the window. Raised letters spell out "Renner Weber Brewing Company" in two lines across the facade. Another arched window is centered above this printing. The upper portion has a castle-like appearance. Stone quoins of the lower three levels meet square brick columns at the corners of the building. Brick pilasters divide the upper sections into three portions. Round arched windows are in two levels, divided by a band of brick dentils. The east elevation has only a row of porthole windows close to the cornice. The remaining portion is blind. The west side has a matching row of porthole windows. Below these is a row of round-arched windows, most of which have been bricked in. At the southwest corner is a large, rectangular delivery door and loading dock.
The complex continues to the north and down the hillside. From the northwest corner a 3-story, gable-roofed section extends to the west. The south side of this section has a stepped gable bay on the left half. This bay has brick arched and a round window in the peak of the gable. There is a recessed loading area across the right half. The west elevation has antoher recessed, drive-in loading area and two round-arched windows on the second floor. There is a row of porthole windows on the third floor and more of the same windows in the stepped gable.
Behind this and lower on the hillside is a second gable-roofed, stepped gable section. This 3-1/2 story section is flush with the first on the west side and runs across the rear of the East 4th St. portion and is flush with it on the east side. The west side of this section has three tiers of round-arched windows and two porthole windows in the gable. Behind this section and still lower on the hill is a 3-story, hip-roofed section of equal width and depth as the above mentioned portion. Again round-arched and porthole windows are employed on the west elevation. This section is the most deteriorated portion of the brewery complex. The north elevation os this section is on Temple Court and is divided into three sections. The outer sections have two bays while the center section has three bays. Rectangular, 6/6 light windows are used on the first and second floors. The third floor has round arched windows. The two outer sections have rectangular entrances. The stone foundation is partially above grade. The brick parapet above the cornice is quite deteriorated.
To the east on Temple Court is a wash house. The Temple St. elevation of this section has a raised stone foundation. Again the facade is divided into three sections. Each has a rectangular dock and doorway. Above the doors are round-arched windows on the outer sections and two rectangular windows in the center section. Four porthole windows are on the second floor. The center bay extends another story above the raised letters "Wash House." There are three round-arched windows across this additional story. The gable is a series of narrow steps. Both sides of this section have a row of 2/2 light windows which give a greenhouse effect. The east side of the wash house also has round-arched and porthole windows. The wash house extends 80' to the south.
