Introduction

Olde Auburn Ale House has been a labor of love for owners Daryl Cargile, Michael Chávez and Theresa Chávez. The three initiated plans for opening a brew pub in Auburn in 1998. Finding the perfect location was the greatest challenge, as the Alabama ABC law requires brew pubs to be in county that had brewing prior to prohibition, and to be located in a building eligible for National History Register. Lee County was not a previously approved county. After detailed research, the trio found that Phoenix City had been annexed by Lee County prior to 1932 and during that time had two operating breweries. This satisfied ABC’s first requirement. The Auburn Bulletin Building constructed by Felton Little in 1937 satisfied the second as it housed Auburn’s first newspaper.

Soon after graduation from Auburn University, Neil and Henrietta Davis founded the Auburn Bulletin in 1937. In the years since its creation, the Bulletin earned numerous awards for general excellence. Davis, a Niemann Fellow, was a great Civil Libertarian and a life-long Democrat. During the Civil Rights Era his paper served as a voice of moderation and his strong editorials were instrumental in the peaceful integration of the Auburn School System. The editorials Davis wrote on an old manual typewriter were often reprinted in the New York Times.

Daryl, Michael and Theresa have been delighted with the local response to Olde Auburn Ale House since its opening in February 2000 and are excited about its future growth.

Thank you for your patronage.