History:Â
This building was originally constructed as a drying house in 1894, with a single silo added in 1925 for William E. Kreiner of Kreiner Malting Inc. A second silo was added in 1936, bringing the storage capacity to 180,000 bushels.
William Kreiner Jr. died in 1968, and after an attempt by his brother to keep the company running, it eventually failed in 1971. Four years later, the property was purchased by the Buffalo Malting Company who eventually closed the building again in 1986.
It has apparently been state property and neglected ever since.
August 2, 2022:
This property became the site of Briar Brothers Brewing Company.
Personal Commentary:Â
I drove around the place twice before finally stopping, getting the lay of the land, so to speak. Some children played happily across the street, and a black cat wandered through the untended grass. The wind was getting cold and there was a threat of rain that loomed overhead.
I snapped off a couple of pictures of the outside before finding my way into the building. Immediately inside, just as my eyes were adjusting to the dark, I spotted a large hole with a substantial drop just inside. Good thing I didn't go far.
The interior of the building, as you'll see from the pictures, doesn't hold a lot of equipment. One thing I did notice, and enjoyed seeing for myself for the first time, was the "elevator" for the employees to ride to the top. A simple vertical conveyor belt with handles and steps that the workers simply stood on to hitch a ride upward. I can't imagine it passing today's safety regulations.
Much of the building was pretty dark, but the view from the upper levels of the Buffalo skyline was impressive and made the stop more than worthwhile.
