Belleville

Signal Brewery, 86 River Road, Corbyville

Year built: 1857

Builder: Unknown

Original purpose: Henry Corby moved to Belleville in the early 1830s and established one of its first bakeries. By the 1850s, Corby was running a gristmill and, by the end of the decade, had incorporated a distillery operation into what was locally known as Alma Mills, named for his late wife. Although modernized by his son (and partnered with JP Wiser), Corby’s distillery closed its doors in 1989 after 132 years in business.

Adaptive reuse: For almost 25 years, the site was abandoned until the Signal Brewing Company began restoring the old buildings and bringing the brewery back to life. Today, Signal runs a successful craft beer business, restaurant and event venue. It remains a popular stop on any Doors Open Belleville tour.

Adapted by: Tankhouse Development Inc.

Awards: 2018 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation

Links:

• Map
• Website
• Video