The Observer Newspapers | Bowman Distillery Up For Sale

June 6, 2008

Bowman Distillery Up For Sale

By Leslie Perales
Observer Staff Writer

The Bowman Distillery on Old Reston Avenue has sat vacant and slowly deteriorating for years, but last month the building went up for sale, sparking new hopes of the historic structure's revitalization. The $1.6 million asking price includes the 14,000-square-foot lot that contains the old distillery, as well as a 5,000-square-foot lot that is adjacent to the building.

John Scira has owned the building since 1998 and originally planned to convert the piece of Wiehle history into a bed and breakfast or condominiums. Scira said that when he purchased the property he asked local historian Audrey Haugan to help him document the history of the building and its place in Wiehle, so they could apply to add the site to the National Register of Historic Places.

"I've been trying to save the building and have been working on it for over 10 years," Scira said. "It became a real journey when we entered into it." Although he said he loved the building, Scira recently moved to Massachusetts and decided to sell his investment property in Reston. "I hope whatever happens to the building, it gets preserved," he said. "It's a big part of Reston's history."

According to documents prepared by Haugan, in 1886 Carl Adolph Max Wiehle, a doctor from Philadelphia, purchased 3,228 acres of land located where Reston is now located. The distillery was built in about 1892, and originally served as the Wiehle Town Hall and the Wiehle Methodist Episcopal Church.

According to the documents, Wiehle wanted to create a planned community of about 4,000 residents, but the town began to struggle after Wiehle died in 1901. In 1909, the distillery was converted into a single-family home and specialty store. A. Smith Bowman purchased the land on which the town was located in 1927, and he renamed the area, which he made his farm, Sunset Hills. When prohibition was repealed in 1934, Bowman decided to convert the building into Virginia's only legal whiskey distillery, selling Virginia Gentleman bourbon.

The distillery stayed in the area for 54 years before the growing business relocated to Fredericksburg, Va., in 1988. At that point, the Greater Reston Arts Center purchased the building with plans to make it into their headquarters. GRACE owned the building for 10 years until selling it to Scira in 1998 for $80,000.

Scira said the distillery is currently zoned for residential use and he hopes the next owner will stick with that designation. "I'd like to see it turned into residential, but if it is used for commercial I hope the integrity stays with the building and with the grounds," he said.

Scira said that when he purchased the building he knew the distillery was much older than Reston and that piqued his curiosity. "If it wasn't for Wiehle, Reston wouldn't be here today," he said. The majority of the buildings that existed as the Town of Wiehle have been torn down, but a few, including the Manor House at Linden Springs, are still standing, he said.

In addition to being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 1999, the Bowman Distillery was placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in September 1999. Scira said he hopes the building's historical significance will help spur the next owner to restore the building.

Scira's real estate agent, Vince Alexander of Wellborn Management, said there has been a lot of interest in the building, but no serious offers have been made. The distillery's status as a historic place could help a potential buyer receive tax credits and grants, providing more incentive to restore the property, Alexander said. Scira said the buyer's intent for the property also would be taken into consideration in the sale.

"There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved in that building," Scira said. "We always felt that we had something special there and hope somebody sees the vision that we have envisioned."