Best Brewing Company of Chicago Building
Why it's listed
Best Brewery is a cluster of nine rectangular masonry buildings on Chicago's North Side, built in 1893 after an earlier brewery was torn down. Oscar Beyer of Milwaukee was the architect. The principal buildings are a six-story Brew House with a seven-story grain tower, a Machine House and a Boiler House, all of pale common brick with red face brick pilasters, limestone belt courses and Romanesque arched top-floor windows. A smaller office building from about 1885 was kept. The Hasterlik brothers bought the business in 1891 and ran it for roughly seventy years. During Prohibition the company made root beer, ice and malt syrup to stay open. After repeal it pioneered store-brand beers for grocery chains and was among the first locally to sell beer in cans. Production stopped in 1961. Equipment has been removed inside and some openings closed, yet the brewery's form and details largely remain. It is the last brewery complex on the North Side.
Significance in brief: It represents the history of a medium-sized Chicago brewery from 1891 to 1937, including survival through Prohibition and adaptation afterward. Best pioneered private-label beer for food store chains and was among the first in the area to sell canned beer. Its architecture is typical of late 19th century Midwestern breweries, and it is the only remaining brewery complex on Chicago's North Side.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87001263, listed July 30, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1315--1317 W. Fletcher, Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | July 30, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001263 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1891-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Oscar Beyer, Architect |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior equipment has been removed and the remaining spaces are used for storage. Brewing ended in 1961. Some windows and doors were closed up and the chimney stack and some cornices were removed, but the form and details remain. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.93866, -87.66182 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87001263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85746722
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.