This Once Large Beer Company Closed in 1968

Neuweiler Brewery, Allentown Pennsylvania

Date added: August 11, 2024

Office building, brewhouse to the rear (1979)

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The Neuweiler Brewery was important in the brewing industry of the Lehigh Valley, not just because it was one of three breweries in the City of Allentown, but also because it had the most up-to-date facilities that made it one of the most modern breweries in the U.S. It was a big time brewery brewing on a local scale. The elegance of the physical plant reflects the personality of its founder, Louis F. Neuweiler, who was a perfectionist that insisted on the best.

In 1878, Benedict Nuding built the Germania Brewery on South 7^th Street, at the rear of the hotel of this name. In 1891 Louis F. Neuweiler, Sr. was taken into Nuding's firm and the business became known as the Nuding-Neuweiler Brewing Company. In 1901, Neuweiler bought Nuding's interest and brought his two sons, Charles F. and Louis P. Neuweiler, into the business. The old Germania Brewery became outmoded and the present building was erected at Front and Gordon Streets, beginning in 1911. By 1913 the old 7^th Street establishment was abandoned completely and the home of Neuweiler's was established along Front Street.

In 1934, work was started on a $200,000 building addition along Front Street, near Liberty. A new bottling system was installed and various improvements were made. By that time, Neuweiler's was established as one of the most modern, famous and oldest breweries in the eastern U.S.

But on August 25^th, 1967, Neuweiler Brewing Corporation filed a petition in U.S. District Court, Philadelphia, under the Bankruptcy Act, asking for a reorganization of the firm. This was the climax of a financial crisis. At that time, the corporation president, Philip F. Neuweiler, grandson of Louis F., who had bought out the other interests, said only 28 employees (office and maintenance personnel) were on the job.

Two trustees from Philadelphia were appointed to take over the assets and operations, claims totaling nearly $800,000 had been filed against the brewery and its owners, and for a while there was hope that the brewing operations would continue. But production ceased on May 31^st, 1968.

There are some sidelights that add to the color of the brewery's history. Louis F. Neuweiler was a rather peculiar man. Everything that was his had to be of the best quality. The present brewery complex was not built strictly according to the plans. The buildings exceed the original plans. Since the brewery is built on top of a subterranean lake, Louis F. was afraid the building would sink. So it is built on a "floating form" foundation whose footers are dug to a depth of 90 feet. The brewery also had its own wells and electricity plant. Neuweiler's even heated nearby homes from its steam heat plant.

The elegance of the building also reflects the personality of Louis F. Neuweiler. A copper cupola adorns the top of the 6 story brew house. A concrete initial "N" adorns the front facade of the brew house. Copper beer bottles adorn the top of a canopy that runs the length of the bottling house. A smokestack at the rear of the complex contains the name "Neuweiler" in dark-colored bricks, and the entrance to the office is made of granite with two pillars on either side of the doorway.

Like many breweries during Prohibition, Neuweiler's produced soda in order to remain in operation. Neuweiler's was among the first breweries to use cans in 1935.

Neuweiler Porter was "unusually high in protein" and was often prescribed by physicians for its "tonic effect". Neuweiler's turned out 300,000 barrels of beer and ale each year at its peak.

There is no specific information available on the architectural firm of Peuckert and Wunder. The firm consisted of Kurt W. Peuckert and Clarence EH. Wunder. Peuckert was the founder of the firm, and the partnership was formed in 1910. They were located at 310 Chestnut Street and were listed in the Philadelphia City Directory as "brewers' engineers and architects". Along with the Neuweiler brewery in Allentown, Peuckert and Wunder are believed to have designed a similar brewery in Baltimore.

There is no information available on Kurt Peuckert. It appears that he was a rather obscure figure on the Philadelphia architectural scene. Clarence Wunder, on the other hand had achieved some prominence in Philadelphia.

Wunder was born in Philadelphia on 11-14-1886. He was noted for his commercial and industrial structures, especially those in Philadelphia. He was a graduate of the Central Manual Training School in Philadelphia. In 1905 he began to work as a draftsman for Kurt Peuckert, architect and engineer. After 5 years, he was taken into the partnership. Wunder withdrew from the partnership in 1914, after which he maintained an independent office.

Wunder's buildings are mostly located in Philadelphia. His Philadelphia buildings include: Temple University Stadium; The Pennsylvania Hotel (later named the Philadelphia Hotel); a building for Cuneo Press, Inc.; and several stores including Bonwit, Teller Company. Other buildings by Wunder include: Pine Street and Kenney apartments in Haddonfield, New Jersey and Elizabeth Manor in Upper Darby, Pa.

Wunder was a member of the A.I.A. and lived in Ardmore, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. He died on October 19^th, 1940.

Peuckert lived in suburban Sharon Hill. No date of birth or death is available.

Site Description

Although the Neuweiler Brewery was completed by 1913, its architectural style is not characteristic of the early 20th-century industrial design. It does follow the brewery designs of the late 19^th century. The brewery complex, especially the brew house, emphasizes the vertical, however, it does not follow any one style. Most likely, it is a design peculiar to Kurt W. Peuckert and Clarence E. Wunder, the architects.

The brewery's office building is located at the northeast corner of Front and Gordon Streets and is the only portion of the brewery not constructed entirely of brick. The office is 2 stories high and is constructed of granite and brick. The design of the office suggests a Greek revival of the 20^th century. The main entrance is dominated by a portico with a pedimented roof. The roof is supported by two polished granite columns displaying capitals of the Corinthian Order. There is an arched doorway containing double wooden doors. The name "NEUWEILER" is carved into the granite of the portico. The facade of the office is of cut granite stone, with horizontal lines emphasized on the first floor. A belt course separates the first and second stories. The decorated cornice also suggests Corinthian influence with the use of dentils. The windows on the second floor have semi-circular openings with ornamental keystones set in the middle of each curve. The first-floor windows have flat openings with keystoned ornamental lintels. The east side of the office is attached to the brew house and is constructed of brick.

Like the 19th-century brew houses, the brew house at Neuweiler's is tall and narrow. This is a 6-story brick building with a copper hipped roof. The building is topped off with a cupola made of copper and glass. A small copper smokestack is also located on the roof.

For the most part, the windows of the brew house have large semi-circular openings with arched 'brick surrounds and keystones. The walls contain brick pilasters that join the 2 belt courses and the cornice of the building. The 2 sets of belt courses divide the building into 3 major sections below the cornice.

To the north of the brew house is the stock house. This 4-story building is long and narrow and is constructed of brick. This building is also pilastered and the facade is separated into sections by belt courses.

The outstanding feature of the facade is an ornamental "N" cast in concrete. The Neuweiler name is also cast in concrete above the opening for a railroad siding, but it is partially hidden by a wall of later vintage. The roof of the stock house is flat except for a small attic section, complete with a pediment with copper details, a gable roof, and a lantern-type structure with a gable roof. It appears as if it is a 7^th story to the building. Since the brewery complex is not built on one level, the first floor of the stock house is below street level. Many of the windows of the stock house have been bricked. Those along Front Street have flat openings, except those of the attic section which are semi-circular. Windows in the back of the stock house have segmented openings. The window openings along Front Street have keystones characteristic of the brew house. The third exposed side of the stock house has large openings in the walls that facilitated the removal of the brewery equipment when the brewery closed. Originally that wall contained windows with flat openings. The railroad siding runs into the stock house where the cars were loaded on the ground level.

A small, one story brick pump house is attached to the north wall of the stock house. This building has a flat roof, and there is a skylight on top.

Attached to the east side of the stock house is a one-story brick wash house. The wash house has a gable roof, along with a lantern-type structure that runs the length of the building. The lantern-type structure contains windowed walls and a gable roof. A loading platform surrounds the exposed walls of the wash house and is covered by an awning made of corrugated steel with steel support members.

Attached to the east side of the brew house is a section of the brewery complex that contained ammonia tanks, machinery, and the chemistry lab. This building is two stories high and has a flat roof. It also contains a lantern-type structure on the roof, much like that of the wash house. The windows on the first floor have flat openings. Those on the second floor have semicircular openings with arch surrounds. Each surround is integrated with the one next to it. As with the other buildings, this section is constructed of brick.

Attached to that section, to the east, is the 2½ story boiler room. The boiler room is also constructed of brick and has a gable roof with a lantern-type structure on top. The windows on both floors have semicircular openings with arch surrounds. The elements of the surrounds are integrated with each other on each floor.

So far, the buildings described have been vacant since the closing of the brewery in 1968. For the most part, the windows are broken, hence the interiors are exposed to the elements. In short, the buildings are deteriorating. That is not true of the rest of the Neuweiler buildings, however.

The 2 story brick bottling house is occupied. The building is ideal for storage and is being used for that purpose by Mack Trucks, Inc. The bottling house is long and it fronts along Front Street directly north of the stock house. It is detached from the rest of the buildings. The building was constructed at two different times, but one cannot tell where the addition meets the original building. The only hints are the different dates on the two copper-detailed pediments. The copper canopy, that is above the loading area along Front Street, is decorated with copper beer bottles along its entire length. The upper floor contains pairs of windows with semi-circular Openings and arch surrounds. These windows also display keystones similar to those of the brew house. The second floor contains the loading dock on Front Street, along with pairs of windows on the sides and rear of the building. These windows have keystoned flat openings. The building is pilastered and contains a dentilated cornice.

There is a large, one-story brick garage located directly behind the bottling house. It has a gable roof with a lantern-type structure. It contains a pediment above the garage door. The windows have segmented openings with arch surrounds. This building also displays pilasters.

Just south of the garage is the old fermenting cellar. Part of it is two stories high with a gable roof, and the rest is one story with a flat roof. It is constructed of brick. A modern block addition has been constructed, as the building is being used by Rozak Produce. The second floor of the original building contains windows with flat openings.

Finally, there is the smokestack with the "NEUWEILER" name on it. It is of buff-colored brick with the name in dark-colored brick. This is in sharp contrast with the rest of the brewery complex, which is mostly of red brick. The smokestack is located just east of the boiler room.