Brewhouse History
Located in the heart of downtown Rockford, Illinois, Prairie Street Brewhouse is a beloved riverside landmark that has welcomed visitors for over a century. Throughout its storied history, the building has survived fires, floods, and other challenges, all while maintaining its status as a cornerstone of the community. Today, the Prairie Street Brewhouse houses apartments, commercial businesses and the iconic Prairie Street Brewing Company; which is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike offering delicious food and drink, a vibrant waterfront location, and stunning wedding and event spaces.
Jonathan Peacock settles in Rockford, IL. He purchases 200 Prairie Street and establishes Peacock Brewery.
Peacock Brewery constructs a Brewhouse and Bottling Plant to accommodate the high demand for their product.
Peacock's lager, Nikolob, was a smashing success. Earning it the title,"The Beer That Made Milwaukee Jealous." According to legend, this is where the idea for Michelob originated.
Jonathan Peacock passes away, while his sons Edwin and Frank carry on the business. Since taking over, the brewery produces an impressive 20,000 barrels per year under their leadership.
Edwin dies from tuberculosis. Louisa, Frank's widow, sold the brewery to John V. Petritz, a Croatian immigrant. After the sale, the brewery underwent a rebranding, and became known as Rockford Brewing Co.
Petritz collaborated with the esteemed architects, Widmann, Walsh & Boisscher, to create a spacious and contemporary brewhouse. The newly designed facility features cutting-edge technology which increased production capacity to 75,000 barrels per year.
Samuel Hirsch, a partner at Peacock, bought out his colleagues and rebranded the company as the Rock River Brewing Company. Under this new name, Hirsch introduced two new beer selections - Coronet Old Vat and Grand Prize - to their product line.
Dinner on the Dock, Rockford’s iconic and most popular summer event is launched.
Prairie Street Brewhouse is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Brewhouse starts utilizing geothermal heating and cooling for the building and brewery operations.
Prairie Street Brewing Co. is established as an operating Brewpub inside of the Brewhouse. The original intended use of the building is revived and locally made beer flows into pint glasses for Rockford residents once again.
Prairie Street Brewhouse receives the Landmark Illinois - Richard H Driehaus Foundation - 2015 Preservation award.
Dockside Taproom, Prairie Street's riverside, casual dining option, opens.
First cans of Prairie Street beer are produced.
Prairie Street Brewing Co. celebrates 10 Years of Cheers during their milestone anniversary.
Prairie Street switches to 100% recyclable cans.
The Brewhouse places additional solar panels on the new parking pavilion. In addition to the panels, Prairie Street Brewhouse partners with the U.S. Department of Energy, ComEd and the City of Rockford to create a new battery energy storage system.
