Circa 1898
Today
Same Building.
127 Years Apart.
The only surviving pre-Prohibition brewery in Indianapolis — and the story behind every celebration held within these walls.
In 1891, a group of Indianapolis businessmen — many of German descent — organized the Home Brewing Company. They built a compound at 24 South Shelby Street: a brewery, a bottling house, and a wagon shop along the railroad tracks.
The bottling house — the building you're looking at right now — went up in 1898. At peak operation, it filled 60 barrels a day. The full complex produced 50,000 to 60,000 barrels a year with over 60 employees. Twenty-five horse-drawn wagons distributed beer across Indianapolis.
Then Prohibition came. Then the brewery closed. Then the building lived six more lives before becoming the one you'll celebrate in.
The Connection No One Expects
John A. Hook, 1926
August Hook served as brewmaster and early president of the Home Brewing Company. His son, John A. Hook, went on to found Hook's Drugs in 1900 — later Hook-SupeRx, one of the largest drugstore chains in the Midwest.
The father of one of Indiana's most iconic retail brands made beer in the building where people now get married.
From brewery to celebration — every chapter left its mark on these walls.
Wm. P. Jungclaus
Principal Owner
A group of Indianapolis businessmen organizes the Home Brewing Company. By 1907, the company has 90 stockholders and officers. Brands include Home Brew, Columbia, and Indiana ale and porter.
This building — the one standing at 24 South Shelby Street today — is constructed as the brewery's bottling house. It fills up to 60 barrels daily. Twenty-five horse-drawn wagons (later Buick trucks) deliver beer across the city.
60,000 barrels a year. 60+ employees. The Home Brewing Company is one of the largest breweries in Indianapolis.
Indiana enacts Prohibition a year before the national ban. The Home Brewing Company pivots to non-alcoholic "Tonic" (less than 0.5% alcohol) and malt extract. Neither saves the business.
Equipment, brick structures, and the malt extract business go on the market. The compound's larger buildings will eventually be demolished. Only the bottling house survives.
The building becomes a steam plant for Merchants Light and Heat. Then Indianapolis Power and Light. Then Majestic Tire and Rubber. Then a plumbing company. Then a lumber yard. The main brewery buildings are demolished in the 1970s. The bottling house stands alone.
Ray and Leslie Kamstra open Indiana City Brewing in the old bottling house, funded by a $35,000 Kickstarter campaign raised in 29 days. The taproom hosts local artists and performers. Beer is made in the building again for the first time in 91 years.
After a full renovation of the 6,000+ sq ft bottling house, 24 Shelby opens as a wedding and event venue. The original brick walls, exposed wood ceilings, and oversized windows are preserved. A new chapter begins.
127 years of transformation — same bones, new life.
The Building Today
The 2025 renovation preserved what matters — the original 1898 brick walls, the exposed wood-beam ceilings, the oversized factory windows that flood the space with natural light.
Then we added everything a modern celebration needs: polished concrete floors, Edison string lights, a full bar, a five-station bridal suite, modern garage doors connecting to the Prohibition Patio, and a sound system that fills every corner.
6,000+ square feet. Single floor. No stairs. No freight elevators. Every guest gets in.
The Person Behind the Place
Sarah is the Director of Events at 24 Shelby — and the reason every review mentions her by name. 20+ years of events experience. Over 1,000 celebrations. And she still remembers your grandma's drink order.
From your very first tour to the final farewell, Sarah is the one guiding every detail. She built this space with intention — every antique piece, every string light, every corner was chosen to make your event feel like it was always meant to happen here.
This building sits at the intersection of two historic roads — the National Road and the original Michigan Road. The railroad tracks that once carried 60,000 barrels of beer a year still run alongside the property. Today, 24 Shelby is minutes from Fountain Square, Lucas Oil Stadium, and downtown Indianapolis — but the building’s story is the one your guests will remember.
Walk the space with Sarah. See the brick, the beams, the bar — and feel it for yourself.
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