Happy Valentines Day! We’re sticking with the prohibition era breweries today. Heading east from LaSalle all the way to the former town of Riverside, and the former Riverside Brewery.
Founded in 1926, the building was designed by Albert McPhail, who designed many other buildings in Windsor. It’s amazing that after 85 years, the sign is still clearly visible.
Over the front door, there is remains of a painted sign for a Bird Seed Company that once occupied the site.
The front doorway has alternating limetsone and brick. I love the big “R” over the front door.
An impressive structure towering over the local area. It’s too bad that the best use for the building today is the sand/gravel docks to the rear. It seems to me that this building would have been perfect for a condo conversion.
Looks like “Riverside Bird Seed” ? Does anyone remember the seed factory?
Here you can see the poor old gal surrounded by piles of sand and gravel. It’s a sad same, given this building’s part in our local history, and in the story of prohibition.
An ad that ran in the paper in 1934 looking for investors.
I am assuming that the investors didn’t come, as the brewery closed in 1935, after only 9 years in operation.
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It was the Hybrid Seed Company as I recall.
I've always thought that Windsor should have a "Rumrunners" or bootleggers museum and one of these old breweries would be a perfect spot for it.
Anyone know what the similar looking building is just to the east of this?
http://maps.google.ca/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=360+Fairview+Ave+W,+Essex,+Essex+County,+Ontario+N8M+1Y3&ll=42.338776,-82.920867&spn=0.006154,0.016512&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.33874,-82.920724&panoid=E_EOHe55477FkkA-1hZsXw&cbp=12,314.83,,0,-1.2
Now sure if it was this building or the one Tom D is refering to, but one of them was to be turned into condos. I think the problem was title to the property. The owners of the sand and gravel dock said they owned the building and someone else said they did. At any rate the condo idea must have gotten shelved. I think it is probably home to bats and birds now.
i was at lakeview marina on friday and was looking at this building thinking the same as you andrew. what a great building for condo/lofts. a building like this with a fantasatic view of the river, lake and peche island. i love this building and it's a shame to see it being used the way it is today.
A similar large, red-brick building, also a brewery (Brading's) was on south side of Riverside Dr. West, between approximately Church & Bruce. Since removed and paved over after all these years, I recall a track on north side of Riverside and adjacent to the curb. A spur led across Riverside and into the brewery. I assume the line was part of the SW&A when it was a railway and I think it went all the way to Amherstburg. Or would it be the Windsor, Essex and Lakeshore. Or even the ETR. The traction and rail fans probably have the answer to this memory.
And yes, I agree the Riverside Brewery would be ideal for lofts/condos, if the structure is still in sound shape.
Tom - It used to be "Webster Manufacturing".....and before that "Monarch Liquor Co."
If you go to "from the vaults" on the Star, and find the pics about Sandpoint beach cottages, you can spot part of this building in the background with all it's windows intact....beautiful.
I had also thouth these would make great condos. When I was a kid I used to climb to the top of those gravel piles and jump off. Now I realize just how dumb that was!
Ken - That would be the old Carling brewery....maybe Brading's at some point? Later it was turned into the art gallery and then the temporary Casino. And yup, that would have been the SW&A. Both SW&A and WE&LS used to handle freight. WE&LS used to ship goods to Heinz in Leamington.
Thanks Andrew!
So who owns it now? Everytime I drive by this place I wonder why it's still around. Thanks for reporting on it Andrew. I am not sure how many lofts could be made from this place, they would be pricey or really small.
At this point it just seems like an eyesore blocking the view of the water.
I worked at Websters FEB-MAY 1984,We made map pockets for G.M.on the top floor and truck seats for Chryslers on the bottom floor..$4.00 an hour $6.00 when local 195 came in..That is one solid building it was desighned to hold alot of weight and it shows on the inside.the veiw is excellent from there,you can see down the river and out to the lake plus the summer view of sandpoint beach..The windows are larger than they appear from the street.I didn't stay long but enjoyed working with the girls upstairs a friendly bunch and alot of laughs. I stopped one day to take some pics and was kicked out by the port authority....Free country.
"ESSEX" Hybrid Seed....
I still remember that painted mural sign which was applied over the brewery sign on the west face. Not sure when the seed sign would have been painted; it slowly faded away as I was growing up but I'm sure it protected the original brewery sign for a good part of the last 85 years. I'm pretty sure there is a photo of this building (taken from the river side) in the foyer of Red Lobster .... revenuers bust'n kegs.