Property Record
109 N MAIN
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Jacob Muth Brewery |
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| Other Name: | MALT HOUSE THEATER |
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| Reference Number: | 12074 |
| Location (Address): | 109 N MAIN |
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| County: | Racine |
| City: | Burlington |
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| Year Built: | 1872 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20002011 |
| Historic Use: | brewery/distillery/winery |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
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| Wall Material: | Grout |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Jacob Muth moved to Burlington from Sheboygan in 1852, founded Burlington’s first brewery, and constructed a frame factory at the cost of $2,500. Soon, the Jacob Muth Brewery was producing 20 barrels of beer per day. Muth turned his production efforts fully to malting in 1870. In 1872, Muth replaced the frame brewery with a large brick building in which he malted 60 to 80 thousand bushels of grain. The Jacob Muth Brewery is located at 109 N. Main Street. He sold the company to Chauncey Hall and Maurice L. Ayers in 1879, who continued the malting operations. Mathias Petrie, who operated a malting business in Chicago, began leasing the malt house in 1898, and later purchased it. Petrie sold the former Muth Brewery in 1900 after constructing a new malt house on S. Pine Street which was destroyed by fire two years later. In 1933, after the end of Prohibition, the Old Dutch Brewing Company of Milwaukee purchased the former Muth Brewery; however, it was sold at sheriff’s auction the following year. The malt house was foreclosed upon again in 1943, at which time it was purchased by the Haylofters, a community theater group, and renovated into the Malt House Theater. ROUND ARCH CREAM BRICK DOOR AND WINDOW HOODS. DECORATIVE BRICK WORK AT CORNICE OF 1 STORY PORTION. Muth was born in Prussia in 1825 and came to New York in 1846. After working at breweries in Milwaukee and Sheboygan, he came to Burlington in July, 1852. He built a brewery and operated it for about 20 years before turning it into a malt house. November 2000-This property consists of two structures - a small, single-story, Romanesque Revival office building and a significantly modified, three-story brewery building. The commercial building features a low-pitch shed roof and is constructed of cream brick. Its main (east) facade exhibits a corbelled-brick parapet topped with tile coping. A wooden, four-panel door is situated within a round-arch opening defined by raised brick. A metal vent currently occupies the transom. Situated to the left of the main entrance is a large, modern bulletin board and bay-style sign inscribed with "The Malt House Theater" and "Haylofters, est. 1932." The only feature on the north elevation is a modern, brick wall-chimney while the south facade consists of regularly spaced, replacement windows located within round-arch openings. The former brewery building is a flat-roof structure constructed with a mix of river rock and cream brick. The building is devoid of ornamentation and a significant portion of the building's stone has been covered with a skim coat of mortar. Fenestration throughout has either been infilled with fieldstone or cream brick; however, the main (east) facade's few segmental arch window openings are infilled with wood. The only other notable element on the front elevation is a wooden sign inscribed with "The Malthouse Theater." The north elevation possesses a metal fire escape door accessed by a metal stairway. Meanwhile, the west (rear) facade's only feature is a large, swinging freight door. The south facade is defined by a single-story, shed-roof, river rock addition. A metal fire escape door accessed by metal stairs is situated near the rear of the building. This complex was built in 1872 for the Jacob Muth Brewing Company. Jacob Muth's first experience in brewing occurred when he organized in 1848 a brewery in Sheboygan. In 1852, he sold that company and moved to Burlington to begin a second brewery. Muth began his brewery in a frame building at this location which was later replaced by the subject structures. In 1877, Muth sold his business to the People's State Bank. In 1900, the building was purchased by the Finke-Uhen Brewing Company of Burlington and used as an auxiliary malting facility. During Prohibition, the brewery was utilized by the Burlington Cereal Products Company for the manufacturing of malt cereal and non-alcoholic beer. In 1944, the complex became the second home of the Haylofters, a local theater association. The Haylofters was formed from an adult recreation group that met in the non-extant stable of Howard Newell at the corner of State and Pine Streets in 1932. After being formed as the Burlington Drama Club, meetings were held in a local barn. The club’s first play was entitled “Square Crooks.” The club became known as the Haylofters in 1933 in reference to their meeting place. By 1938, the group rented the Town Hall for their meetings and rehearsals, but maintained the Haylofters name. In 1944, a permanent home was obtained with the purchase of the former Jacob Muth Brewery. Due to its poor condition and the extensive required renovations, the Haylofters did not present their first production in their new auditorium at the brewery facility until 1954. Since that time, the facility has undergone additional renovations and remodeling. Today, the facility is known as the Malt House Theatre, where the Haylofters continue to present several theatrical productions per year and claim to be the oldest active theater group in Wisconsin. A circa-1900 photograph indicates that the structure has undergone significant alterations. Specifically, the building originally featured a pyramid roof, cupola-style headhouse, large chimney, corbelled-brick parapet and regularly-spaced, double-hung sashes situated within arched openings. Additionally, the photograph indicates that the original building was nearly twice the current size. Although the building is a locally designated historic landmark, the complex was utilized as a full-service brewery only during Muth's tenure. Later owners did not use the complex as their primary brewing location, rather as an auxiliary malting facility. |
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| Bibliographic References: | General Files. On file at the Burlington Historical Society, Burlington, Wisconsin. The Underground Railroad in Burlington and Vicinity, Burlington Historical Society, 2002, p. 16. Burlington, WI. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |