North Country Brewing Co. History

Nestled in the heart of downtown Slippery Rock, our brewery has a long and fascinating history.

Peter Uber constructed the house and barn somewhere near 1835. By the time of the1850 census it had been registered as an inn. Peter's son William Henry Harrison Uber served as the bar keep in his father's inn.

William Uber (left) William Uber (left)

It was also in 1850 that Peter and William added the existing storefront to the original house deconstructing the barn for building material. The rustic beams from the 1835 barn remain in place in our brewery today.

Soon thereafter, Peter and William went from inn keeping to cabinet making and by the time of the Civil War, to coffin making. Apparently business was very good and it soon occurred to the Ubers, in their dead reckoning, that undertaking was the next logical step. Soon their shop became "Uber and Sons Undertakers and Furniture Dealers." The business flourished, even if their customers did not.

letterhead

Sometime in the 1800s the business and the building were passed on from William to his son Carrol. Under Carrol's leadership, the business continued to prosper. It was enlarged to its present size somewhere around 1920.

Carrol Uber circa 1895 Carroll Uber (right) on Main Street Slippery Rock circa 1895

Elton North Uber - Carrol's son - carried on the family tradition until his retirement in 1974. After Elton had the last funeral, Edward Uber continued the family business as a furniture store for 20 more years.

In the spring of 1998, Jodi and Bob Mccafferty fell in love with the old storefront and immediately started renovating. They personally rebuilt the structure from the foundation through the roof with gathered local hardwoods and recycled on-site materials. Artisan and friend, Gregg Kristophel handcrafted the hardwoods, as well as black walnut and curly maple left from the Uber's furniture store, into the custom feel found only in Slippery Rock, Pa. We graciously thank Gregg, not only for all of his labor-intensive efforts and care, but also for believing in our vision.