MillerCoors is seeking approvals to relocate the 1850s Gettelman farmhouse on its Milwaukee campus across State Street to make way for the reconfiguration of its north yard area.
The move was part of a preservation commitment the company made last year. The building was once home to the Schweickhart and Gettelman families and was later used for offices for the Gettelman Brewery. The company developed into a regional brewer and created the “Milwaukee’s Best” brand in 1895. Miller Brewing acquired the company in 1961 and the Gettelman plant was closed in 1970.
A number of the other buildings were demolished over the years, but MillerCoors does use two of the buildings for an employee fitness center and for employee beer sales.
The company had originally sought to demolish the farmhouse last year but committed to preserving it after it was given a temporary historic designation. The designation applies to the original farmhouse and doesn’t include a 1940s addition or a Malthouse building that was modified a number of times.
MillerCoors is seeking approval to detach the farmhouse from the addition and malthouse and relocate it to an area just west of the Miller visitor center across the street. The Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to consider the request Feb. 5.
Relocating the farmhouse will cost MillerCoors roughly $400,000, according to a company estimate in September. The company says the move will give the building a more prominent location and it plans to dedicate space in the visitor center to the Gettelman Brewery.
“The new location of the farmhouse will be very close to the existing site while allowing for better long-term preservation,” Marty Maloney, a MillerCoors spokesman, said in an email.
He added that the company needs approvals from the Historic Preservation Committee before setting an official timeline, but MillerCoors hopes to start campus improvements this spring.
Moving the Gettelman house will allow for the reconfiguration of the north truck yard on the campus. Conceptual plans from last year show an employee parking lot moving to the west of the Gettelman buildings and the area to the east of the building being used for secured trailer parking.
The Milwaukee brewery produces about 400,000 cases of beer per day and there are 300 outbound trucks leaving the campus daily.
