Ever since the first colonists arrived in the New World, Americans have enjoyed drinking beer. The North American colonies boasted a commercial brewery as early as 1612; by the time of the Revolution local breweries dotted the Northeast. Not until the 1870s, however, did large-scale brewing operations become feasible. Technological developments — steam heating, artificial refrigeration, and, by the 1890s, electricity to power compressors — finally permitted brewers to make beer year-round, even in the warmer regions of the country. The focal points of the industry shifted, too, with Cincinnati and Milwaukee becoming the nation's new brewing centers. The mammoth urban breweries that were constructed across the country during the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s are compelling architectural legacies of the late nineteenth century. These structures loomed over downtown areas, dwarfing residential units and shops.

Many breweries built in the late nineteenth century displayed the eclectic detailing common...