Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites

Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery are two historic sites on a sandstone bluff overlooking the Colorado River, each preserving different chapters of the past. The hilltop features a monument and tomb, while the lower grounds display the stone remains of a major brewing facility.

In 1848, the remains of fallen Texans from the Dawson Massacre and Mier Expedition were buried in a limestone tomb on the hilltop. Later in the 1800s, Heinrich Kreische built his brewery on the lower ground, using the natural sandstone cliff to support the facility's structures.

The brewery represents German immigrant heritage and local craftsmanship that shaped the region's early development. Walking through the ruins, you sense how a single family's skills built one of Texas's most important brewing operations.

The sites are located in La Grange and accessible via State Loop 92, with guided tours offered to explore both locations. It makes sense to start at Monument Hill and walk down to the brewery to understand how the two stories connect across the landscape.

The brewery stood as one of Texas's largest commercial beer producers before closing at the end of the 1800s, yet few visitors realize how advanced its operations were for the time. Kreische used innovative techniques to source and process ingredients locally, making this more than just a simple historic structure.

Location: Texas

Location: Fayette County

Website: https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/kreische-brewery-state-historic-site

GPS coordinates: 29.88806,-96.87639

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:47