We’ve all been there. You’re having a few drinks at your favorite brewery and a brilliant thought pops in your mind: “They should just build apartments in here! I’d totally rent one and then I’d never have to leave!”
Well, now you have a chance to fulfill your drunken Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler-esque fantasy in scenic Jordan, Minnesota, by renting this charming apartment in the former Schutz & Hilgers Brewery complex. Sure, the brewery’s been closed for the last 70 or so years, but you can always take a short stroll to the nearby Roets Jordan Brewery for your fix (or just start homebrewing, we won’t tell the landlords).
This open-plan style, 1300 square-foot apartment will set you back $1,475 a month and features one bedroom, one bathroom, and a den, plus a deck, off-street parking, in-unit laundry, and basement storage space. If that sounds a little steep for Scott County, remember that utilities are included, and furthermore, you’ll be living within a piece of Minnesota brewing history!
Photos via rental listing
Speaking of history, here’s a quick rundown: According to the Scott County Historical Society, the brewery was originally founded in 1866 by local business bigwig Frank Nicolin. Its walls are noise-obliteratingly thick—three feet to be exact—and are made of brick and limestone, which explains how the building is still standing after a rough-and-tumble century and a half. The brewery changed hands a few times during the back half of the 19th century, operating first as Sand Creek Brewing, and eventually transitioning into its most successful era as Schutz & Hilgers Brewing in 1902. At its commercial apex, Schutz & Hilgers brewed 40,000 barrels of beer annually and its distribution network stretched across seven states.
Brewing operations shut down in the late 1940s and the vacant building was ravaged by a fire in 1954, leaving ruins that would remain dormant until the building was renovated into retail and apartment space in the 1990s. The nascent Roets Brewing was all set to move in back in 2014, only to have their plans scuttled after a massive torrent of June rain caused a mudslide that sent 40 tons of earth and debris crashing into the building. Roets ended up finding a different space nearby, and the building was eventually returned to mixed commercial and residential use after several more years of renovation and reconstruction.
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