Augusta's Historic Winery



I have the incredible opportunity of using one of the area's greatest buildings as my art studio.   As the current Artist in Residence at The Winery at Augusta, my painting studio is in the National Registered Historic site.  Visits are welcome by appointment.
phone: 606.217.2106

When German immigrants arrived in the rolling hills of the Ohio River Valley, they foresaw large vineyards, like the ones they had left in Germany, dotting the countryside.  The Ulericks, sliefnatins, Switzer, Heines, Dlfiners, and Bakers brought their wine-making expertise with them.  In the 1850's the Germans started their wine-industry in the Ohio Valley.  They planted vineyards, built wine cellars and transported their wines down the Ohio River by flatboat as far as New Orleans.

Abraham Baker began his vineyard at Augusta in the 1850s.  The cellar was a very important part of the wine-making process.  It is reported that wooden troughs led down the hill from the vineyard to huge vats above the cellar.  More troughs and pipes carried juice from the ccrushed grapes to casks for storage in the cellar.  The Wine Cellar was built by German masons who also helped in the actual production of grapes.

According to the 'American Vine-dresser's Guide', the temperature of a wine cellar should remain a constand 55-degrees the entire year for best results.  The wine cellar must be 18 feet deep, walled and arched with stone or brick, the abutments of the vault must be below the surface of the ground, the entrance to the north with two shutters.  The Wine Cellar at Augusta, built in the 1850's by Abraham Baker, meets these requirements.  The entire structure, living quarters and wine cellar, is of native limestone.  Large structural beams support the roof of the living quarters.  The cellar is vaulted and 104 feet long, 22 feet wide and 37 feet high.  The walls are approximately 30 inches thick and the timbered beams are 12x12.  The door to the cellar is built facing a northeastern direction and two strong shutters cover the opening to the cellar.  It also has two small cellars built over the vault.  A small doorway on the south side of the building leads to one of the cellars.  The cellar still maintains its cool temperature as vegetables are now stored there.



During the fall of 2005, the Ohio River Art Guild met at the Old Winery for Plein Air Wednesdays

Click Here To View Photos from the event