WHITESTOWN, Ind. – These days most buildings can be transformed into just about anything imaginable and Whitestown’s first brewing company is doing just that – breathing new life into a historic high school.
Moontown Brewing Company will occupy Whitestown High School’s 102-year-old school gymnasium and feature six house brews and four to six seasonal offerings.
The brewery will be just steps from the new Big 4 Trail that will eventually connect all of Boone County.
The school gym once-filled with sounds of cheering students has now become a silent building without working plumbing, power or air conditioning. The space also has several busted windows and the basketball court is covered with a thick layer of dirt and dust.
Despite the building’s rough edges, developers can’t wait to add a bit of charm to the 10,000 sq. ft. area. Construction will begin this winter and the plan is to open in early summer 2017.
“It’s just such a terrific space,” said commercial builder and one of the owners, Pete Mattingly. “It has so much potential and we’re very excited to see what it will evolve into.”
Mattingly and his home brewing partners have dreamed of opening a brewery for more than a decade.
That dream became a reality when they won the 2015 Home Brew Competition at the Whitestown Brew Fest.
Soon after, Mattingly began speaking with people working at the Town of Whitestown and Boone County Economic Development Corporation about opening a brewery.
The owners of Moontown Brewing Company plan to not only serve beer, but food as well using local ingredients whenever possible. The venue will have an outdoor patio.
“We’re very into locally sourced food and locally sourced beer ingredients,” said Patrick Mattingly, who is one of the brewery’s partners. “The restaurant will have a casual, friendly environment with great beer and simple but delicious food.”
With a large square footage, owners plan to eventually use the brewery as a concert and event venue.
“We have a great space with a stage built in. So there’s great potential to feature local bands eventually,” said Patrick. “We’ve also talked about hosting winter farmers’ markets and utilizing the space as an indoor beer garden during those gnarly winter months.”
The $1 million investment will certainly change some aspects of the building but owners said they plan to preserve as much as possible by rehabbing windows and the gym floor. They even have talked about creating a new “Panther Brew” in honor of the school’s team basketball team.
Whitestown Town Manager, Dax Norton, said the brewery will help the area once again become a vibrant destination.
“Entrepreneurs are already seeing the potential in that area and we believe the Big 4 Trail and Moontown Brewing Company are two, big puzzle pieces that will help transform that area faster, while also bringing an artsy, trendy vibe that our residents will really enjoy.”
