Historic Stahl Building

The Namesake : Catherine Stahl

The building on the corner of Main Street and Third in Athena was constructed in 1904 by Catherine Stahl. Mrs. Stahl was the owner of Stahl Brewing Co. in Walla Walla, Washington, and a saavy businesswoman. Constructed next door to the Jacob Betz Star Saloon, and with similar architectural details, the new brick building was twice the size. The building was originally occupied by saloons to sell their Stahl beer. Catherine Stahl owned fifty saloons at the time of her death, including one in nearby Weston, Oregon. After learning the interesting history of her building in Athena, we decided to name the building in her honor.

There is an excellent article by Gary Flynn at www.BreweryGems.com titled, “History of the Pioneer Brewing Company of Walla Walla” that tells the story of the Walla Walla brewery scene from the 1870s to the 1950s.

Catherine Stahl

(Photo courtesy Dawn Smith,
Catherine Stahl's great-granddaughter)