The House That Beer Built

By Linda Tancs

Just 25 miles south of downtown St. Louis, the ancestral home of Fred and Mabel Ruth Anheuser (of beer fame) is located in Kimmswick, Missouri. Affectionately known as Fredmar Farms, the historic estate was gifted to Fred and Mabel Ruth in the 1940s by his father, W. Fred Anheuser, whose ancestor, Eberhard Anheuser, was the founder of E. Anheuser Brewing Company. The brewery later became the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, producer of world famous Budweiser beer, after Eberhard’s daughter Lillie married Adolphus Busch. The pristine river estate and its 23-acre grounds were donated to the city, which offers Saturday tours by appointment only.