Schlee's Bavarian Brewery

At its height the Schlee Bavarian Brewery was tied with the Born Brewery for second largest in Columbus, after the Hoster Brewery. Its buildings span two city blocks, giving you an idea of how massive these brewing operations were in what was once the densest industrial district in Columbus. Schlee’s is the only brewery to remain fully intact, with the main building, malt house, stable, and bottling plant still standing. The building was renovated in the 1980’s, and the upper levels now house condominiums.
A prudent man with an intuitive business sense, Nicholas Schlee frequently expanded his business. This is evident in the main building, which was constructed piecemeal, with the earliest section completed in 1875. It features an arched entrance on the Front Street façade, framed by limestone voussoirs … or wedge-shaped blocks usually made of stone … that line an arch or vault. A raised ashlar stone foundation supports the structure, which is mostly utilitarian, but does exhibit some elements of the Italianate style, such as brick hood molds over the windows. The building features stone-lined cellars with arched ceilings for beer storage and aging. At the time, it also housed two 35-ton refrigeration machines because Schlee was an early convert to this new technology. When production was in full swing, the brewery used 18 delivery wagons, 45 horses, 60,000 pounds of hops, and 80,000 bushels of malt to churn out 50,000 barrels per year.
Schlee’s was the only brewery located on the east side of Front Street, without direct access to the railroad. This proved to be a handicap for his business, as rail was essential in receiving supplies and shipping out the final product. The Hoster Brewery, for example, received 30 railroad cars of Hocking Valley coal per day.
Note the tracks that cross Front Street at Beck and continue eastward all the way to Wall Street. These are small gauge tracks whose cars were moved by horse or manpower, unlike railroad cars. They were used to transport anything that needed to be moved between the Schlee brewery buildings and the railroad line—with the exception of beer, which was transported via tunnel under Front Street.
These tracks, like the ones on Vine Street at North Market, are usually preserved in historic districts so that the industrial nature of the area is remembered, even if they are no longer used.