Before the Ban Part 1 - Pre-Prohibition Baltimore Breweries - The Bauernschmidt & Marr Spring Garden Brewery

Now long forgotten to history, Baltimore was once a major brewing city with over 45 breweries operating at one time. In this series, I hope to bring to life this long lost history.

The Spring Garden Brewery was established on Stowman's Hill by John Jacob Bauernschmidt  in 1859 as John Bauernschmidt's Lager Brewery. Bauernschmidt was born in 1830 in Wambach, Bavaria and was married to Elizabeth Marr Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt enlarged the brewery several times, adding a saloon and inn before his death in 1879. The brewery originally featured wood fired copper kettles and cypress wash tubs. In 1878 the brewery sold 12,017 barrels of beer and in 1879 it sold 10,037 barrels of beer.

John Bauernschmidt's Lager Beer Brewery 1869

Bird's Eye View of John Bauernschmidt's Lager Beer Brewery 1869

After Bauernschmidt's death, his wife's brother, John Marr, joined the brewery operating as Bauernschmidt & Marr. In November 1884, Bauernschmidt & Marr received a builing permit to build 2 two-story brick buildings at the brewery site.

Elizabeth Bauernschmidt died in 1886 and the brewery was purchased in 1889 by British interests. Marr continued to manage the brewery under the name Bauernschmidt & Marr's Spring Garden Brewery.

Baltimore American News 1886 Advertisement

The name of the brewery changed again in 1892, now known as Baltimore Breweries Company Ltd.'s Spring Garden Brewery.

Baltimore American News 1894 Advertisement

In 1902 it was purchased by Frank Steil Brewing Company, becoming its Spring Garden Brewery. In 1903 the brewery closed, and was purchased in 1905 by the Mount Vernon Brewing Company of New Jersey, reopening in 1906 as the Mount Vernon Brewery. They built a 72'x40' one story bottling plant along Ridgely Street in 1905 built by B.W. &E. Minor and designed by W.L. Minor. The brewery fell into receivership and was sold to L.F. Ruth, R. Marietta and Clair Stellwagon. In 1908 the brewery was bought by Conrad Eurich, but it went into receivership that same year and closed for good in 1909. While in operation as Eurich, their Pilsner was 5.25% alcohol as of November 2, 1908. Then in 1909 the brewery was sold Gustav A. Bachman who planned to open the site as the Consumers Brewing Company of Baltimore City. In 1911 it was again sold at a receivers sale. At this time it had 1-25 ton and 1-30 ton Consolidated compression ice making machines made by the Modern Steel Structural Company of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and 1-100 ton De La Vergne compression ice making machine made by the De La Vergne Machine Company of New York. In 1912, Joseph H. Straus and Alexander L. Straus were rumored to buy the Mount Vernon Brewery to operate it as an independent brewery, but they bought the Standard Brewery instead.

Today parts of the brewery still remain. Bauernschmidt's house, which also some of his workers, was built in the early 1870's, but was torn down some time between 1980 and 2016. It was a three and a half story, almost cubical, brick house, five bays wide on all sides, with a hipped roof. Marr lived in this house until at least 1890. By 1901 the first floor was being used for bottling with lodging rooms above.

A 14 bay long brick bottling plant still lies along Ridgely Street. It appears that the brew house also survives on this site.

Bauerschmidt and Marr Brewery 1890

1500 Ridgely Street

 Spring Garden Brewery (formerly the Bauerschmidt and Marr Brewery) 1901

1500 Ridgely Street

 Site of the Mt. Vernon Brewing Company (formerly the Spring Garden Brewery) 1914

1500 Ridgely Street

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