Property Record
457 W 11TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Bechaud Brewing Co. |
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| Other Name: | Co-op Fertilizer Service Center |
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| Reference Number: | 52879 |
| Location (Address): | 457 W 11TH ST |
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| County: | Fond du Lac |
| City: | Fond du Lac |
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| Year Built: | 1871 |
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| Additions: | 1878 1879 |
| Survey Date: | 19882019 |
| Historic Use: | brewery |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | Yes |
| Demolished Date: | 2000 |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | The three-story brick building in this complex has a five-story tower. At the cornice is brick corbelling and a flat roof with parapet. Openings on the third story are slightly arched and decorated with stone jack arches. On the second and first stories the windows are tall with round arches in an arcaded effect. Window openings are all enclosed, but their sizes are quite evident. The first story entrances have been covered over with a concrete loading dock. There are several other buildings on this site. The largest is at the rear of the site and consists of a two-story stucco-covered building with a large square tower. Openings are arched. The arched and arcaded windows and brick corbelling are typical details of the Romanesque Revival style. This building is also significant for its type of construction, that is, a brewery building. The Bechaud Brothers' Brewery was the largest brewery in Fond du Lac. The buildings in their complex were constructed in the 1870s and served the brewery until 1919, when prohibition closed the company down. After prohibition, the company could not re-open, and the buildings were put to new uses, the most recent being a feed mill. Many Wisconsin communities had breweries in the nineteenth century, prior to the ability to adequately store and ship beer. Some of these companies provided beer only to local customers, while others, like the Bechaude Brewery, produced enough beer to ship outside of the community. However, only the breweries in Milwaukee grew to be major producers. Small breweries closed throughout the 20th Century and their historic resources are significant. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) City Directories - Fond du Lac. (B) Sanborn-Perris Maps - Fond du Lac. (C) Tax Rolls - Fond du Lac. (D) Carol Cartwright, City of Fond du Lac Intensive Survey Report, Fond du Lac: City of Fond du Lac, 1992. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |