George Schnell


Company Names, addresses, dates1,2:
  G. Schnell, 218 20th West, Washington DC (1864-1870)
  G. Schnell, 1229 20th NW, Washington DC (1871-1872)

Notes:
George M. Schnell (ca.18323-18724) was listed as a Restaurant owner in the 1860 US Census3.
He opened a brewery in 1864, at 218 20th Street NW, which is in the Georgetown section of Washington DC1,2.
He also had a tavern at the same location as his brewery2. The city directories list him as both a brewer and a restaurant/tavern owner.

George Schnell rented his brewery & tavern to Christian Heurich in 1872. Heurich claimed that Schnell's brewery was "run down", and claimed it was the worst of the 5 breweries operating in Washington DC at the time. 2
Schell died soon after that, and left his property to his wife, Amelia.5.
Christian Heurich maried Schnell's widow in 1873, and in so doing, was able to take over the brewery & tavern2.

Bottles:

schnell book # 633
This is a green 7.3" blob top bottle with applied lip, embossed:
front: G. SCHNELL / WASHINGTON / D.C.
schnell_03 book # 633
This one differs from the one above in the color, and the fact that it has block lettering. It's an aqua 7.3" blob top bottle with applied lip, embossed:
front: G. SCHNELL / WASHINGTON / D.C.
rear: THIS BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD
schnell_02 book # 634
This is a green 7.5" squat blob top bottle embossed:
front: G. SCHNELL / WASHINGTON / D.C.
schnell_04 book # 634
This is an aqua 6.75" squat blob top bottle embossed similarly to the one above, except the "G. SCHNELL" is in block letters. It is embossed:
front: G. SCHNELL / WASHINGTON / D.C.
schnell_05 book # 126 (in the stoneware section)
This is brown 7.5" stoneware bottle debossed:
imprinted on the shoulder: GEO SCHNELL


1 Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
2 Book: The Nations Capital Brewmaster by Mark Benbow, pp.39-40,47
3 US Census 1860, Washington Ward 2, entry for George Schnell (28 yrs old in 1860)
4 Find-a-grave entry for George M. Schnell
5 Washington Evening Star newspaper, 18-Nov-1872, page 4


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This page last updated on May 25, 2022.