Wheeling’s Brewing Legacy

While Wheeling, West Virginia’s brewing heritage may be eclipsed by that of Cincinnati, Ohio or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this can be attributed to the passage of Yost’s Law in 1914, which effectively extinguished the beer industry in the state. Wheeling, once home to more breweries than any other city in the Mountain State, was renowned as a major brewing center during the latter half of the 19th century and as a haven for German immigrants.

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While Wheeling, West Virginia’s brewing heritage may be eclipsed by that of Cincinnati, Ohio or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this can be attributed to the passage of Yost’s Law in 1914, which effectively extinguished the beer industry in the state. Wheeling, once home to more breweries than any other city in the Mountain State, was renowned as a major brewing center during the latter half of the 19th century and as a haven for German immigrants.

At its zenith, no fewer than 20 breweries operated within the city limits, complemented by over 130 taverns that dotted street corners, dispensing ales and lagers from the Nail City, Eagle, Balzer, Schmulbach, and Reymann breweries, among many others, to the immigrants who called the area home. Wheeling’s moniker, “Nail City,” was rivaled by the sobriquet “The Beer Belly,” a nod to the prodigious alcohol consumption that prevailed. By 1900, through consolidation and closure, only six major breweries remained, producing over 300,000 barrels per year.

Towering above the rest was the Reymann Brewery, the largest in the state.

The foundations of the Reymann Brewery date back to 1849, when George Reymann and Peter Beck founded the Franklin Brewing Company. Anton, George’s son, later assumed operations after his father’s retirement and Beck’s departure due to health complications, constructing a larger, more modern facility along the north bank of Wheeling Creek. Caverns were excavated from the hillside, providing storage for 7,000 to 8,000 barrels of beer. Adjacent natural springs furnished fresh water, while a nearby coal mine supplied electricity. In 1881, the Reymann brewery offered stock for the first time, and by 1904, the brewery’s output exceeded 150,000 barrels per year.

With such expansion, Reymann became well-known within the Wheeling community, not for excess, but for his philanthropy. He founded Altenheim, a home for “Aged and Friendless Women,” predominantly sheltering immigrant women who had come to the United States as domestic servants, working in the homes of the wealthy and left destitute in their later years. Reymann later purchased the 40-room Mt. Belleview Hotel, a summer residence for Wheeling’s elite, and converted it into a residence for aged women, bearing the expenses himself for a year. He was also responsible for modernizing the Wheeling and Elm Grove Railroad and for acquiring Wheeling Park, transforming it into a popular amusement and recreation area for the region.

Another local brewery of note was the Schmulbach Brewery in South Wheeling, with its history dating to 1861 when Frank Zeigler founded Nail City Brewery at 33rd and Wetzel Street. Several cellars were excavated into the hillside, one extending as far as 400 feet, and several structures were erected. Later, a stock company was formed, and the company grew to sell between 7,000 and 8,000 barrels per year. The master brewer for many years was the well-regarded Ernest Irion, formerly of the Gambrinus Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Schmulbach, born in Germany but raised in Wheeling, was employed in the wholesale liquor trade by 1867. He acquired the majority shares in Nail City in 1881 and took ownership a year later, becoming president. The brewery’s name was changed to the Schmulbach Brewing Company, and the facilities were modernized, with capacity increasing to 50,000 barrels. It was not long before Schmulbach was selling 200,000 barrels per year. An ice plant, West Virginia’s largest, was constructed adjacent to the brewery, along with a bottling plant.

Schmulbach developed Wheeling’s Mozart Park, originally conceived as a beer garden. An incline that he financed extended from 44th Street to his park, accompanied by a streetcar line. He was also instrumental in the construction of the city’s first skyscraper in 1907.

The fortunes of these breweries and others soon changed when West Virginia became a dry state in July 1914 under Yost’s Law. Schmulbach, Reymann, and others were forced to close down or retool to produce alternative beverages. It was not until the 1990s that brewing returned to Wheeling with the opening of the Nail City Brewing Company, a micro-brewery in downtown, though it was later shuttered.

While this account has focused on two breweries, I shall soon make a return visit to Wheeling to document the remnants of the Balzer and Eagle breweries, among others, further illuminating this rich tapestry of the city’s brewing heritage.

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