Waukesha in Waukesha County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Weber Brewery

Photographed By Linda Hansen, April 30, 2011

1. Weber Brewery Marker

Inscription. In 1857, Henry Meyer opened a brewery on this spot. In 1862, the bankrupt brewery was sold to Stephen Weber. The new brewery remained part of the Weber family until 1958. During that time it was known as “West Hill Brewery,” “Bethesda Brewery,” “Weber Brewing Company,” and “Weber Waukesha Brewing Compa

The business was operated as the Waukesha Dairy Company during Prohibition. The Weber family produced beer and the brewery developed a regional following. Trademarks included an Indian dipping water from a spring and a big red “W”.

In 1958, Weber merged with a nearby Fox Head Brewery and operation ceased at this building.

Erected 2007 by Berg Management and the Waukesha County Historical Museum. (Marker Number 34-17.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 43° 0.905′ N, 88° 14.032′ W. Marker is in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in Waukesha County. Marker is on East North Street (U.S. 18) south of NW Barstow Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 315 East North Street, Waukesha WI 53188, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hill School and Park View Park (approx. 0.2

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miles away); Waukesha Civic Theatre (WCT) (approx. ¼ mile away); Cohn's Shoe Store (approx. ¼ mile away); Rotunda (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Waukesha Freeman (approx. 0.4 miles away); Courthouse Complex (approx. 0.4 miles away); Waukesha City - Cutler Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Prehistoric Indian Mound (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waukesha.

Regarding Weber Brewery. In the mid-1850s, a brewery opened on North Street. The name and ownership of this brewery changed many times over the years. Herman Meyer was the first to start a brewing company there but was ultimately unsuccessful. Stephen Weber bought it in 1862 and named it the West Hill Brewery after his brewery in Milwaukee. He was able to expand his business several times and his output reached 2,200 barrels of beer annually. During this time, stone buildings were erected to replace the original cellars, some of which still exist today.

Stephen's son, Wiliam, and his son-in-law, John Land, took over the business in 1884 and changed the name to Bethesda Brewery

Photographed By Linda Hansen, 2009

2. Weber Brewery Marker

This earlier marker was missing the letter "B" in Brewery

after the Waukesha spring. William's two sons took over the company naming it Weber Brewing Company. During Prohibition in 1919 the brewery shut down. It was then converted into a dairy and continued operation until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. After that the plant was completely modernized and was the first brewery to use stainless steel equipment in the area. The Weber Brewing Company finally passed out of the family in 1958 and was merged with Fox Head Brewing Company moving operations to the Fox Head site. The remaining stone buildings have since been used for auto-related businesses.

Weber Brewery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Linda Hansen, 2009

3. Weber Brewery

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2011, by Linda Hansen of Waukesha, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 3,626 times since then and 374 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 30, 2011, by Linda Hansen of Waukesha, Wisconsin. 2, 3. submitted on April 27, 2011, by Linda Hansen of Waukesha, Wisconsin. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.