Open Timber-Framed Production Hall at Dixie Brewery

Dixie Brewery operated on Tulane Avenue from 1907 until Hurricane Katrina forced its closure in 2005. Founded by Valentine Merz, it was Louisiana's oldest brewery and once produced Dixie Beer, a regional staple sold throughout the South. The main production hall shows the timber framing and raised gallery level typical of early 20th-century brewhouse construction, built to accommodate brewing equipment and grain storage above the working floor. The site has stood vacant since the storm, with redevelopment plans debated for years amid its listing on preservation watch lists for historic industrial buildings in New Orleans.

Photo taken in December 2009.