Oozlefinch Craft Brewery is an adaptive reuse project that breathes new life into a once-abandoned building on historic Fort Monroe. WPA preserved elements of the building’s past, repurposing salvaged materials to create unique design features throughout the space. For example, restored antique wood from a local historic mansion was given new purpose as the brewery’s iconic bar.
The expanded area includes a barrel room for aging beers, and an outdoor patio offers customers a place to enjoy the ambiance of the Fort.
Oozlefinch Craft Brewery takes its name from the Fort Monroe legend of the “Oozlefinch,” a featherless bird that Capt. H.M. Merriam allegedly observed in 1905, flying backward at supersonic speeds outside the Fort Monroe Officers’ Club.
