In 1847 the Lakeside Brewery opened in Port Washington, WI, one year before Wisconsin became a state. It then became the Port Washington Brewing
Company in 1905 and after prohibition, it officially was called Old Port Brewing Company. (It’s Premo beer’s slogan was ‘The Beer that made Milwaukee Furious!” After closing in 1947, several of the old buildings were torn down but the newest addition still remains. Sometime thereafter the American Legion Post 82 took possession of this building located at 435 N. Lake St, Port Washington, WI. In 2017, Inventors Brewpub will become the new tenant and the rest of this building’s history will reside in the future! I hope you can be part of this fun journey bringing a brewery back into the old historic brewery.
This next photo shows a current shot of the front of the building. Although the parking is ample to the East and North, we would like the front lawn to start getting some makeovers in order to create a welcoming biergarten atmosphere.
I found this picture online of an aerial shot of Legion Hall during Fish Day a few years back (not sure which year, but it was before they reconstructed the front street/parking lot). The view is facing West-NW. There is a highrise apartment to the south of the building and the water treatment facility in the foreground. The red-roofed building in the top left is the historic light station (circa 1860). Lake Michigan is a stone’s throw from us! The trees are hiding it in Veteran’s Park but there is also a nice bandshell that across from us as well.
The inside is made up of the bar and banquet hall as well as a kitchen and a large shop which will eventually house the brewery. I found these interior pics online as well. The banquet hall looks very formal and nice, but we will be remodeling it to better resemble a beer hall, or at least a modern brewery tasting room. The bar area will also receive some paint and lighting fixture updates as well.
I saved my favorite shot for last. The google-map streetview map has a fisheye lens which makes thing appear farther than they are, but here you can see the view from the front lawn, aka biergarden. You’ll see the bandshell on the left as well as the park on the right, Lake Michigan is directly behind the park.
This opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the great guys currently in the American Legion Post 82, so if you see one of them, please thank him. Looking forward to making this our new home and you’ll all be invited to our house warming party. 😉
Prost!
