Brown's Brewery
| Company type | Brewery |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1783 |
| Founder | Thomas Peters |
| Fate | Closed in 1879; buildings destroyed in 1904 fire |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland , United States |
Area served | Baltimore, Maryland |
Key people | Edward Johnson Jr., George I. Brown, Eli Claggett |
| Products | Beer |
Brown's Brewery was a brewery situated on East Lombard Street in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1813, the renowned Star Spangled Banner Flag was crafted within one of its malthouses by Mary Pickersgill. At that time, the brewery was under the ownership of Baltimore merchant George I. Brown, who had purchased it from Edward Johnson, the third Mayor of Baltimore. In 1818, Brown sold the establishment to Eli Claggett. Operating thereafter as Claggett's Brewery, it remained active until its closure in 1879. The site underwent archaeological excavation in 1983, marking the first project undertaken by the Baltimore Center for Urban Archeology.
History
The brewery was established in 1783 by Thomas Peters, who relocated from Philadelphia with the purpose of supplying beer to French and American forces during the American Revolutionary War. Initially, it functioned under the name Peters, Johnson, and Company following Peters’ marriage to Rebecca Johnson, daughter of physician Edward Johnson. After Edward Johnson passed away in 1797, ownership transferred to his son Edward Johnson Jr. (1767–1829).[1]
Edward Johnson Jr., who became Mayor of Baltimore in 1808, simultaneously managed the brewery alongside his civic responsibilities until a fire in 1812 destroyed the primary structures, resulting in an $80,000 loss. Although the brewery was reconstructed, it was put up for auction in 1813 due to Johnson’s increasing mayoral obligations.[2][3] The auction listing praised it as "the most complete establishment of its kind in the United States," featuring a brewhouse, extensive malthouses with granaries, a brick counting house, cooperage facilities, a residence, coach house, and stable.[4]
On July 14, 1813, George I. Brown acquired the brewery at auction.[4] During Brown’s ownership, Mary Pickersgill utilized one of his malthouses to assemble the large Fort McHenry flag measuring 30 by 42 feet—an event of considerable historical significance linking the brewery to national heritage.[2]
Brown encountered difficulties managing brewing operations and consequently sold the enterprise to Eli Claggett in 1818. Claggett, a former soldier wounded at Fort McHenry, expanded production substantially; by 1850, annual output reached 50,000 barrels, establishing it as Baltimore’s largest brewery among eleven competitors. The Claggett family maintained control until the brewery ceased operations in 1879 when the property was sold to the National Casket Company. The original buildings were later destroyed during the 1904 Great Baltimore Fire, which consumed much of Baltimore’s commercial district.[5][6]
The former brewery site was transformed into Brewer's Park featuring a commemorative plaque; however, this plaque inaccurately credits Claggett as owner during Pickersgill’s assembly of the flag.[3] This error is also evident in Robert McGill Mackall's 1976 painting Mary Pickersgill Making the Star-Spangled Banner, exhibited at the Maryland Historical Society.[4] Baltimore city acquired the location in 1970, and archaeological digs conducted in 1983 provided valuable historical insights.[6] Currently, a Marriott Hotel stands on this historically significant site.[2]
Timeline
- 1812 – The brewery operated by Edward Johnson and Company is destroyed by fire
- 1813 – Johnson reconstructs the brewery and subsequently transfers ownership to George Brown
- 1813 – Mary Pickersgill crafts the renowned Star Spangled Banner Flag within Brown's Brewery
- 1818 – Ownership of the brewery passes from George Brown to Eli Claggett
- 1879 – Closure of Claggett's Brewery
See also
External links
- Mary Pickersgill Creating the Star-Spangled Banner, a 1976 artwork by Robert McGill Mackall depicting Mary Pickersgill sewing the flag inside the brewery (Maryland Historical Society)
- Public Archaeology as a Means for Community Preservation and Empowerment, outlining the Baltimore Center for Urban Archaeology’s excavation efforts at the Brown's Brewery location
- ↑ The brewery operated as "Peters and Johnson" in 1803 and was known as "Edward Johnson and Company" by 1807.
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- Buildings and structures in Baltimore
- Beer brewing companies based in Maryland
- Defunct brewery companies of the United States
- Former buildings and structures in Maryland
- American companies established in 1783
- Defunct companies based in Baltimore
- Manufacturing companies based in Baltimore
- 1783 establishments in Maryland
- 1904 fires in the United States
- Food and drink companies established in 1783
- Burned buildings and structures in the United States
- Buildings and structures demolished in 1904
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment