Closing of the Ale brewery

(above) Looking south at Front Street-Fulton Street intersection circa 1915 during the construction/straitening of Front Street that would mean the closing of the ale brewery on the Passaic River and all brewing moved to the Freeman Street lager brewery. The Malt Houses (towers visible in the background) would remain open for a few more years.

(below) Same intersection at ground level, in 1912 before the city improvement.

Click on map for larger view of the area to be changed, most of which was part of the ale brewery complex.

Perhaps coincidentally, during the decade before Prohibition, Ballantine's main local competition, Feigenspan, would sometimes advertise itself as the largest ale brewer in the US, possibly because of the reduced capacity of Ballantine due to consolidating its brewing at the Freeman St. facility.

Also, perhaps only coincidentally, Christian W. Feigenspan, was on the Newark City Plan Commission that recommended the renovation of the streets in the area near the Passaic River where the Ballantine ale brewery and malt houses were located.

[BELOW] View of the Public Service Front Street Gas Works looking north from the tower of the Ballantine ale brewery and the offices of Public Service (at the time "Citizens' Gas Light Co.") on Front Street at the foot of Lombardy St.

(Note street car in the lower left corner).