USA: Rockland County counts its breweries

The Rockland Brewery served up the county's local variety of beer for more than 20 years during the 19th century, The Journal News posted June 18.

Brewery Road in New City, as its name suggests, was the location for the once-popular business. Opened in 1855, the brewery was built by two men of German descent, Huber, a merchant from New York City, and Aschenheimer, a physician, according to David Cole's "History of Rockland County."

With the influx of German immigration to America during the 1800s, hundreds of small local breweries were established all over the country.

Though New City's economy was primarily based on agriculture, there were a number of other industries in town, including a silver-plating company.

A couple of decades before the brewery opened, a distillery, run by the Woods family, operated for a few years in New City.

Huber and Aschenheimer, who sold the property after two years, ran the company using "horse and hand power," wrote Frank Bertangue Green in his book, "The History of Rockland County."

The next owners, Kiser and Maas, failed to make a profit and after another two years, they relinquished the business to their creditors, William Hahn and Co., New York City bankers.

With hopes of success, J.G.C Schmersahl purchased and remodeled the small industry in August 1865. The local man modernized the buildings, excavated a pond upon which he constructed ice houses and utilized steam to power the brewery.

"Mr. Schmersahl was an able businessman, and with a steady hand and an able spirit he pushed through to success," wrote Cole.

After a few years, the brewery, situated on a 53-acre farm, came under the ownership of Schmersahl's son and son-in-law. Around 1880, brewing was virtually discontinued; the property became a "hotel and pleasure ground."

"During the 1920s or 1930s, the resort suffered a fire and it fell into disrepair," said Clarkstown historian Robert Knight.

The town highway department now uses the area for gravel, leftover debris or snow during the winter, Knight said. Nowadays, the Ramapo Valley Brewery in Hillburn is the only microbrewery in the county.

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