Laird & Company
 Current Bottling Plant | |
| Location | 1 Laird Road, Scobeyville, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1780 |
| Founder | Robert Laird |
Laird & Company is a distillery located at 1 Laird Road in the Scobeyville section of Colts Neck Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Founded by Robert Laird, it is the oldest licensed distillery in the United States and received License No. 1 from the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 1780. Laird has a rectifier and blender license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.[1]
History
[edit]Laird & Company Distillery Historic District | |
 Laird's Apple Jack sign | |
    | |
| Coordinates | 40°17′55″N 74°8′33″W / 40.29861°N 74.14250°W |
|---|---|
| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 100010927[2][3] |
| NJRHP No. | 5748[4] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 31, 2024 |
| Designated NJRHP | September 4, 2024 |
The history of the company can be traced to the immigration of William Laird from Fife in Scotland to Monmouth County in 1698. He was among the first to produce applejack in the area. His descendant, Robert Laird, served in the Continental Army under George Washington. Washington asked Laird for his recipe for "cyder spirits" before the Revolution.[5][6] Today, none of the company's production is located in New Jersey. It obtains all its apples from central Virginia and distills its products in North Garden, Virginia.[6] Distilling at its New Jersey facilities ceased in 1972 and Laird's only blends, ages and bottles its products in Scobeyville.[6]
The Scobeyville property was listed as the Laird & Company Distillery Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places on October 31, 2024, for its significance in agriculture, architecture, and industry. The 25-acre (10 ha) historic district includes 5 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites and 1 contributing structure. The Laird family's residence was built in three phases. The oldest section may date to before the American Revolutionary War. The next section was built around 1849 and the final section in 1934, when the house became the administrative office for the company. It features Colonial Revival architecture. The Still House was built between the 1880s and 1933. Three distilling equipment rooms were added in 1934 and 1935. The pond was created in 1934 by damming the Yellow Brook. The water was used for cooling the distilling equipment.[5]
-
Former Laird family's residence, now administrative office -
Home of Laird's Apple Jack -
Still House and pond
See also
[edit]- Alcohol laws of New Jersey
- List of wineries, breweries, and distilleries in New Jersey
- New Jersey wine
- New Jersey distilled spirits
- New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Monmouth County, New Jersey
References
[edit]- ^ "Wholesale/State Issued Licensee Listing (.xlsx)". New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. July 18, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#100010927)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "Weekly List 2024 11 01". National Park Service. November 1, 2024.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Monmouth County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 27, 2024. p. 4.
- ^ a b Olson, Siri; Shugars, Miranda; Evans, Francesca (December 2023). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Laird & Company Distillery Historic District (Draft)" (PDF). National Park Service. With accompanying 65 photos.
- ^ a b c Harrison, Karen Tina (July 13, 2009). "Jersey Lightning: The Story Behind Laird's Applejack Brand". New Jersey Monthly. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Laird & Company at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
