"Hopstoric" Preservation: Craft Brewing and Historic Downtowns
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Date
2013
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MA in Historic Preservation
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To view a complete copy of this thesis please contact Goucher College Special Collections & Archives at archives@goucher.edu or (410) 337-6075.
Subjects
historic preservation and urban revitalization
craft beer movement
local food movement
adaptive use of industrial buildings
craft brewers as urban pioneers
collaborations between preservationists and local businesses
Historic preservation -- Theses
Historic buildings -- Remodeling for other use -- United States
Microbreweries -- Economic aspects -- United States
Urban renewal -- United States
craft beer movement
local food movement
adaptive use of industrial buildings
craft brewers as urban pioneers
collaborations between preservationists and local businesses
Historic preservation -- Theses
Historic buildings -- Remodeling for other use -- United States
Microbreweries -- Economic aspects -- United States
Urban renewal -- United States
Abstract
Craft brewers have found historic structures ideally suited to their business operations as the movement has emerged over the past twenty-five years. Primarily, this has been due to the relative affordability and greater space of older buildings. Adaptive use of these structures, often located within the historic district or entertainment district of a small town or city, can and has served as a catalyst for the revitalization of an entire historic district or surrounding neighborhood. Given the devotion of the craft beer movement to locality and projections for continued growth, how can craft brewers and preservationists mutually benefit from locating breweries in historic buildings? The time for decisive action is now because with every craft brewery that opens, there is the potential for a historic structure to be saved and a community to be revitalized. Through case studies and other anecdotal evidence, this thesis will demonstrate ways in which craft brewers and historic preservationists can support one another by creating partnerships. In the past, craft brewers have created special beers to raise funds for specific preservation programs or projects; tasting events and festivals have been held at historic properties; and structures have been saved by brewers for their aesthetic, historic, and economic value. However, cooperation is never assured. It can sometimes be cheaper to construct a newer building than rehabilitate, and misinformation about the nature of the brewing process and the business’s operations may dissuade local preservation organizations from using a specific site. Both sides need to recognize the potential of partnership and form institutional structures within their primary representative organizations, specifically the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Brewers Association, that will help educate their followers and create a lasting bond.