29 Mar 1880s “minature pabst brewery” corner tavern in racine, wisc
March 29, 2026
in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized
“miniature pabst brewery.”
exterior photographic survey of gothhic style pabst tied house or saloon (1901), located at 1300 16th street, racine, wisc.
the emblematic cast iron rondels are original and retain traces of original polychromatic paint finish.
after 1880, milwaukee’s pabst brewing company adopted a competitive strategy by opening taverns across the midwest, particularly in ethnic neighborhoods. around the turn of the twentieth century, visitors to this corner tavern would have encountered patrons and staff conversing exclusively in german and enjoying pabst blue ribbon beer.
with its crenellated parapet, pointed-arched windows, corbeled cornice, and arched entrance, the tavern resembles a small medieval fortress. it also mirrors a miniature pabst brewery, echoing the grand milwaukee brewing complex built in the same gothic revival style, thus serving as an architectural advertisement for pabst. the logo on the tavern’s corner tower features a circled “b,” representing “best,” the company’s original name. when prohibition forced all saloons, including this one, to close in 1919, pabst sold the building. nevertheless, it continues to operate as a tavern.
