Peacock Brewery

Peacock Brewery was a historic brewery complex in Rockford, Illinois, rather than a currently operating consumer brand. The brewery was established by Jonathan Peacock, a British immigrant who arrived in Rockford in 1849 after learning the brewing trade in England and working at Chicago’s Lill & Diversey brewery. He began on a very small scale, brewing beer behind a house on Madison Street. Malt was ground with a coffee mill, the beer was brewed in wash boilers, and deliveries were reportedly made by wheelbarrow. The arrival of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in Rockford in 1852 helped connect the community to growing immigrant markets and supported the expansion of Peacock’s business. By 1857, demand had outgrown the original home-based operation, and Peacock constructed a dedicated brewhouse next door. The enterprise became one of the most important breweries in the city. A major fire destroyed the brewhouse in 1894, but Peacock rebuilt it promptly. He died in 1896, leaving the business to his sons Frank and Edward. During their ownership, annual production exceeded 20,000 barrels. Nikolob was identified as the brewery’s best-known beer during this period. Both sons died of tuberculosis in 1899, after which the brewery was sold to John V. Petritz, a Croatian immigrant with prior experience and wealth in liquor production and distribution. Petritz modernized the site substantially. He commissioned the St. Louis architectural firm Widmann, Walsh & Boisscher to design a new brewhouse, replacing the earlier structure with a large facility that incorporated contemporary brewing technology. The project reportedly cost $100,000 and increased potential production to approximately 75,000 barrels per year. Petritz also acquired a bottling company in 1900 and replaced its facilities with a new building in 1902. Under his ownership, the company operated as the Rockford Brewing Company, one of the brewery’s principal alternative names. The brewery’s expansion was undermined by increasingly strict liquor licensing and tax enforcement. By 1916, Petritz had accumulated hundreds of alleged violations and faced substantial fines. When Winnebago County enacted prohibition in 1917, Petritz continued producing beer. He, his son Frank, and brewery manager Earl Blewfeld were arrested, and the resulting case attracted considerable local attention. Petritz ultimately agreed to a settlement involving $15,000 in payments to the city and county for 1,250 liquor-law violations. The Rockford Brewing Company’s license expired in 1918 and was not renewed, effectively ending its conventional brewing operation. The buildings were subsequently used for warehousing. After national Prohibition ended, Petritz’s son John G. attempted to revive the business. Beer sold under the Petritz name was produced in Chicago and bottled at the Rockford property. In 1937, partner Samuel Hirsch acquired the interests of the other partners and renamed the enterprise the Rock River Brewing Company. The operation produced Coronet Old Vat and Grand Prize beers, but brewing at the site ended in 1945. In the twenty-first century, the former brewery buildings became recognized as historic resources. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 22, 2011. Later plans called for renovation and conversion of parts of the property into an event and hospitality venue using the name Rockford Brewery. Proposed features included the Ice Cellar Bar, with a ten-line draft system, copper-lined bar elements, industrial steel supports, and lighting incorporating historic bottles and references to the building’s former cold-storage and brewing functions. These redevelopment plans represent adaptive reuse of the historic property rather than a confirmed continuation of Peacock Brewery as an active brewing company.

Jonathan Peacock established the brewery in Rockford in 1849. A British immigrant trained in brewing in England, Peacock had also worked at Chicago’s Lill & Diversey brewery before moving to Rockford. His first operation was a small household-scale business on Madison Street. He ground malt with a coffee mill, brewed in wash boilers, and delivered beer locally by wheelbarrow. Railroad access beginning in 1852 expanded Rockford’s connections with surrounding markets and helped the brewery serve the city’s growing immigrant population. The business outgrew its original premises, leading Peacock to build a dedicated brewhouse in 1857. A fire destroyed the brewhouse in 1894, but it was rebuilt immediately. Peacock died in 1896, and his sons Frank and Edward inherited the enterprise. Under their management, production rose above 20,000 barrels annually, with Nikolob described as the most popular beer. The brothers both died of tuberculosis in 1899, and ownership passed to John V. Petritz. Petritz brought capital and an ambition to create a modern industrial brewery. He engaged the St. Louis architects Widmann, Walsh & Boisscher to design a replacement brewhouse. The new building reportedly cost $100,000 and used advanced equipment that raised production capacity to about 75,000 barrels per year. Petritz also bought a bottling company in 1900 and replaced its facilities in 1902. During this period the business was known as the Rockford Brewing Company. The brewery later became entangled in increasingly restrictive liquor regulation. By 1916, Petritz had accumulated 270 alleged violations and faced fines of more than $2,000. In 1917, Winnebago County adopted prohibition. Petritz continued brewing despite the local law, resulting in the arrests of Petritz, his son Frank, and manager Earl Blewfeld. The case was heard under federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and generated substantial local publicity. Petritz settled 1,250 liquor-law violations by paying a combined $15,000 to the city and county. The company’s license expired in 1918 and was not renewed. After conventional brewing ended, Petritz used the buildings for warehousing. Following the repeal of national Prohibition, John G. Petritz attempted to restart the brand. The beer was made in Chicago and bottled in Rockford under the Petritz name, meaning the historic premises no longer operated as a fully integrated brewery. In 1937, Samuel Hirsch bought out the other partners and adopted the name Rock River Brewing Company. The company marketed Coronet Old Vat and Grand Prize beers, but the operation closed in 1945. The surviving buildings later became important examples of Rockford’s brewing and industrial history. On November 22, 2011, they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places and were featured by the National Park Service as a property of the week. Subsequent renovation concepts proposed adaptive reuse under the name Rockford Brewery. Plans for the Ice Cellar Bar incorporated a ten-line draft system, copper surfaces recalling brewing vessels, exposed industrial steel, and lighting made with historic beer and liquor bottles. These proposals treated the site as a historic venue and redevelopment project, not as a documented revival of Peacock Brewery’s original manufacturing business.

1. 2011Historic designation

   The brewery buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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2. 1945Brewing operation closes

   The Rock River Brewing Company ceases operations at the historic property.

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3. 1937Business renamed Rock River Brewing Company

   Samuel Hirsch buys out the other partners and changes the company’s name.

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4. 1918Rockford Brewing Company license expires

   The brewery’s liquor license is not renewed, ending its regular brewing operation under the Rockford Brewing Company name.

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5. 1917Prohibition enforcement closes in

   Petritz, his son Frank, and manager Earl Blewfeld are arrested after the brewery continues operating despite Winnebago County prohibition.

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6. 1902New bottling building completed

   The older bottling facilities are replaced with a new building.

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7. 1900Bottling business acquired

   Petritz purchases a bottling company as part of an expansion of the brewery’s production and distribution infrastructure.

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8. 1899Petritz acquires the brewery

   After the deaths of Frank and Edward Peacock, John V. Petritz purchases the brewery.

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9. 1894Brewhouse fire and reconstruction

   A fire severely damages the brewhouse, which Peacock promptly rebuilds.

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10. 1857Dedicated brewhouse constructed

    Peacock builds a separate brewhouse as demand outgrows the original household-scale operation.

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11. 1852Rail connection reaches Rockford

    The arrival of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad improves the brewery’s access to customers and supports local commercial growth.

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12. 1849Jonathan Peacock begins brewing in Rockford

    British immigrant Jonathan Peacock starts a small beer-making operation behind his Madison Street home after arriving in Rockford.

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A historic regional brewery associated with Rockford’s nineteenth- and early twentieth-century brewing industry. Its significance today is primarily architectural, industrial, and historical rather than commercial, as the brewery ceased production in 1945.

• NikolobBeer

  Nikolob was identified as the most popular beer produced during the Peacock family’s ownership. It represents the brewery’s principal documented product during the late nineteenth century, when annual output exceeded 20,000 barrels.

• Coronet Old VatBeer1937

  Coronet Old Vat was one of the beers associated with the later Rock River Brewing Company period. It was produced after the business changed names in 1937 and before the brewery closed in 1945.

• Grand PrizeBeer1937

  Grand Prize was another documented beer of the Rock River Brewing Company era. Its production belongs to the final phase of the brewery’s commercial history, which ended in 1945.

• Petritz beerBeer

  After Prohibition, beer was sold under the Petritz name. The beer was produced in Chicago and bottled in the Rockford buildings, reflecting a partial restart of the brand rather than a return to full on-site brewing.

• 2011Pursue historic preservation and adaptive reuseOther

  The former brewery buildings remained significant remnants of Rockford’s industrial and brewing history.

  What changed. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, followed by plans to renovate portions of the site as Rockford Brewery.

  Aftermath. The property’s later identity centered on preservation, events, and hospitality rather than documented commercial beer production.

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• 1937Rename the business as Rock River Brewing CompanyStrategy

  After a post-Prohibition attempt to sell Petritz beer, Samuel Hirsch acquired the interests of the other partners.

  What changed. Hirsch changed the company’s name to Rock River Brewing Company and marketed Coronet Old Vat and Grand Prize beers.

  Aftermath. The renamed operation continued until its final closure in 1945.

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• 1918Shift from brewing to warehousingStrategy

  The company lost its operating license after repeated liquor-law violations and prohibition enforcement.

  What changed. John V. Petritz repurposed the former brewing buildings for warehousing.

  Aftermath. The site stopped functioning as a conventional brewery until a later, limited post-Prohibition bottling effort.

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• 1899Modernize and expand the breweryStrategy

  After acquiring the brewery, John V. Petritz sought to turn it into a large, modern industrial operation.

  What changed. He commissioned a new brewhouse, introduced updated production technology, and expanded bottling facilities.

  Aftermath. The modernization raised stated production capacity to approximately 75,000 barrels per year and established the Rockford Brewing Company as a major regional producer.

  Reported brewhouse construction cost. $100,000 (Around the turn of the twentieth century)

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• 2014Historic brewery complex planned for adaptive reuse

  Renovation plans described a reopening of the property as Rockford Brewery, including an event space and the Ice Cellar Bar with a ten-line draft system.

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• 2011Peacock Brewery buildings added to the National Register of Historic Places

  The former brewery buildings in Rockford received federal historic recognition on November 22, 2011.

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1. Peacock Brewery