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Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	1801 W. 3rd Street Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates	41°31′19″N 90°36′11″W / 41.52194°N 90.60306°W / 41.52194; -90.60306
Built	1895
MPS	Davenport MRA
NRHP reference No.	83002527
Added to NRHP	July 7, 1983

The Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co. building is located at 1801 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA 52802 on the edge of an industrial area in the west end of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 7, 1983. The 7-page National Register documents can be found by searching for "Zoeller" in the searchable table of the National Register database. In March 2023 Zillow stated the building had an assessed value of $166,000.

History

The beer brewing industry in Davenport got its start after large numbers of German immigrants arrived in Davenport in the 1850s. The larger breweries developed after the end of the American Civil War. Five breweries were functioning in the city: Mathias Frahm and Son, Koehler and Lange (also known as Arsenal Brewery), Littig Brothers (later Mengel and Klindt and Eagle Brewery), Julius Lehrkind's Brewery and Zoller Brothers. They all distributed their beer mainly in Davenport, Rock Island, Illinois and Moline, Illinois.

Brothers Ernest, Herman and Charles Zoeller established the Zoeller Brothers Malt House in the mid-1880s in the Black Hawk area of Davenport's west end. In 1890 they reopened the Black Hawk brewery their father, Ernst Zoeller Sr., had operated prior. In 1894 all the breweries consolidated into a single corporate structure called The Davenport Malting Company. They built this building in an industrial section of the west end that contained some of the first refrigeration equipment used in the city. As they built new additions on to the plant they closed the older structures. Production reached a high of 75,000 barrels of beer by 1916, and it became the second largest brewery in Iowa.

Independent Malting Company was formed in 1896 in the Zoller Brothers building after they had consolidated their operations two years prior with the other companies. Davenport Malting Company was divided into two firms in 1904, Davenport Brewing Co. and Hawkeye Realty Co. Both The Davenport Malting Company and Independent Malting Company closed with national Prohibition in 1916. Over 150 people from both companies lost their jobs. A black market for alcohol took hold in the city until Prohibition was lifted in 1933. Zoller Brewery reopened and began selling beer in May 1935 and by 1941 they grew to become the largest brewery in Iowa. In December 1940 they had expanded to Iowa City at 321 Market Street, as one of 11 branches in Iowa and Illinois. From the Iowa City location they distributed Zoller and Topping beers as well as Hur-Mon soda/pop beverages. They employed 250-300 people and their annual output was 150,000 barrels of beer that was distributed in nine states and in 2,000 cities. The company changed its name to the Blackhawk Brewery in 1945. It ended production in 1952 with the rise of national brands.

The Uchtorff Brewing Company operated out of the facility for several years before they folded. The building has been used by North American Van Lines as a warehouse in subsequent years.

Plans to turn the building back into a brewery with a museum started in 2019. Andrew Arnold says that the location will have a museum in the front of the building, a pub on the main floor, a brewery in the back, and a place for local brewers to grow their craft on the second floor.

Development of the brewery was put on hold indefinitely in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 2023, the building is still for sale.

Architecture

The former brewery is an example of a combined office and industrial building from the 19th century. It is a two-story, brick structure that features a tripartite front, nine window-bays on each side and segmental arches. It has a recessed entrance with engaged piers, entablature and shallow pediment.

See also

• List of defunct breweries in the United States

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "National Register Database and Research - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
3. "1801 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA 52802". Zillow. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
4. ^ Svendsen, Marlys A.; Bowers, Martha H. (1982). Davenport where the Mississippi runs west: A Survey of Davenport History & Architecture. Davenport, Iowa: City of Davenport. pp. 4–8.
5. ^ Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
6. Martha Bowers, Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "Littig Brothers/Mengel & Klindt/Eagle Brewery". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
7. "Quad-City Times 30 Apr 1935, page 6". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
8. "Iowa City Press-Citizen 09 Dec 1940, page 11". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
9. "One-time site of Iowa's biggest brewery may become new Davenport brewery and museum".

v t e Historic buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa
Apartment buildings	Argyle Flats Ferdinand Ewert Building Hiller Building Linden Flats Old City Hall Roslyn Flats Walsh Flats/Langworth Building Warner Apartment Building Washington Flats
Civic buildings	Davenport City Hall Davenport Public Library Scott County Courthouse Scott County Jail United States Post Office and Court House
Clubhouses	Hauschild's Hall Hibernia Hall Lend-A-Hand Club Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall Outing Club Saengerfest Halle Wupperman Block/I.O.O.F. Hall
Commercial buildings	Henry Berg Building Brammer Grocery Store Building at 202 W. Third Street Building at 813–815 W. Second Street Building at 1119–1121 W. Third Street Central Office Building City Market Democrat Building Donahue Building Ficke Block Finley Guy Building Forrest Block Frick's Tavern Hoffman Building Iowa Reform Building Kahl Building Koch Drug Store Koenig Building Nicholas Koester Building Meiser Drug Store Miller Building Mueller Lumber Company Peters' Barber Shop J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' Store J.H.C. Petersen's Sons Wholesale Building Prien Building Priester Building Putnam-Parker Block Charles F. Ranzow and Sons Building Jacob Raphael Building Renwick Building Riepe Drug Store/G. Ott Block Schmidt Block Schroeder Bros. Meat Market Rudolph H. Sitz Building Washington Gardens Werthman Grocery Wolters Filling Station Col. Joseph Young Block
Financial buildings	Davenport Bank and Trust First Federal Savings and Loan Association Building First National Bank Building First National Bank of Davenport Northwest Davenport Savings Bank Union Savings Bank and Trust
Fire houses	Central Fire Station Hose Station No. 1 Hose Station No. 3 Hose Station No. 4 Hose Station No. 6 Hose Station No. 7
Hotels	Burtis–Kimball House Hotel Clifton-Metropolitan Hotel Davenport Hotel Germania-Miller/Standard Hotel Blackhawk Hotel Hotel Mississippi-RKO Orpheum Theater Schauder Hotel
Industrial	Davenport Bag and Paper Company Building The Linograph Company Building Littig Brothers/Mengel & Klindt/Eagle Brewery Schick's Express and Transfer Co. Shields Woolen Mill Woeber Carriage Works Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co.
Structures	Dillon Memorial W.D. Petersen Memorial Music Pavilion Soldier's Monument
Transportation	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House SAINTE GENEVIEVE (dredge) Union Station and Burlington Freight House
Utilities	American Telephone & Telegraph Co. Building Davenport Water Co. Pumping Station No. 2 Union Electric Telephone & Telegraph WOC Broadcasting Center
Miscellaneous	Clarissa C. Cook Library/Blue Ribbon News Building Clarissa Cook Home for the Friendless Davenport Crematorium St. Luke's Hospital
Davenport Register of Historic Properties National Register of Historic Places listings in Davenport, Iowa

v t e German-Americans in Scott County, Iowa
People	Henry Rohlman Nicholas J. Rusch Henry Vollmer
Commerce	Frick's Tavern Germania-Miller/Standard Hotel Iowa Reform Building Nicholas J. Kuhnen House Henry Lischer House Littig Brothers/Mengel & Klindt/Eagle Brewery Mueller Lumber Company Northwest Davenport Savings Bank Jacob Raphael Building Walsh Flats/Langworth Building Washington Gardens Werthman Grocery Zoller Bros-Independent Malting Co.
Religion	St. Joseph's Catholic Church St. Paul Lutheran Church Temple Emanuel
Social	Saengerfest Halle Davenport Crematorium Eldridge Turn-Halle Hauschild's Hall Northwest Davenport Turner Society Hall Schuetzen Park
Historic Districts	Hamburg Historic District West Third Street Historic District

• Industrial buildings completed in 1895
• Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
• Buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa
• German-American history
• National Register of Historic Places in Davenport, Iowa
• Defunct brewery companies of the United States
• 1895 establishments in Iowa