Houppert Winery Complex
Trademark
UnclaimedA former winery complex in Lawton, Michigan, now used as a community center and museum.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Houppert Winery Complex is a historic winery and agricultural-industrial site at 646 North Nursery Street in Lawton, Michigan. The property was developed for commercial grape processing and wine production in the context of a broader late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century grape-growing economy in eastern Van Buren County. It is now also known as The Old Winery and serves as the Lawton Heritage Community Center and Lawton Heritage Museum. Grape cultivation in the Lawton area dates to 1868, when A. B. Jones planted what is described as the area's first grape vines. As more farmers adopted grape production, the Lawton Vineyard Company constructed a winery on the property in 1903. During the following three decades, the site changed ownership several times and was used to produce both wine and grape juice. In 1933, the property was acquired by William C. Houppert, an Indiana businessman whose father had been a wine master from Alsace-Lorraine and had emigrated to Indianapolis to establish a winery. The operation reached its reported production peak in 1939. At that time, the winery processed approximately 200 to 400 tons of grapes per day and employed about 40 people. Houppert expanded the complex with a new cask building, using casks purchased from Al Capone's former Prima Brewery. The operation was severely disrupted in 1940 when a major fire destroyed the winery. Although much of the wine was salvaged and production resumed relatively quickly, reconstruction of the principal winery building continued until 1943. The replacement building was constructed from stone by mason Ed Schallhorn on the foundation of the original 1903 winery. The fire caused financial damage from which the business did not recover. The Houppert Winery failed in 1943, after which John Turner, president of First National Bank of Lawton and the property's mortgage holder, assumed ownership. Turner already controlled Michigan Wineries and acquired Houppert's equipment and stock, incorporating the remaining operations into that business. Houppert relocated to California but did not successfully return to winemaking. Following Turner's death, Michigan Wineries eventually became Warner Vineyards. Warner continued operating the property until the early 1970s, when aging equipment and increasingly difficult wastewater issues contributed to the site's closure as a production facility. It was subsequently used principally for storage. Warner moved the vats and casks to another facility in 1989, and the Lawton Lions Club purchased the property in 1990. The club renovated the complex into a community center and museum, with the work completed in 1993. The complex comprises four principal structures: the main winery, a deep vat building, a steam plant, and a warehouse. The main winery is a single-story coursed-fieldstone building constructed in 1940 on the earlier winery's foundation. The deep vat building and steam plant date from 1939 and reflect the site's former processing and utility functions. The warehouse was added in the mid-1950s. The property received designation as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1997 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Its current significance is therefore primarily historical, architectural, and community-oriented rather than commercial wine production.
History
The history of the Houppert Winery Complex is tied to the development of commercial grape growing in and around Lawton, Michigan. Local grape cultivation is traced to 1868, when A. B. Jones planted the area's first reported grape vines. During the later nineteenth century, farmers in eastern Van Buren County increasingly planted grapes, creating the agricultural base for local wine and juice processing. The Lawton Vineyard Company built the first winery on the site in 1903. The property changed hands repeatedly over the next thirty years and supported the production of wine and grape juice. In 1933, William C. Houppert of Indiana acquired the property. Houppert came from a family with winemaking experience: his father, a wine master from Alsace-Lorraine, had emigrated to Indianapolis and established a winery. The business expanded substantially during the late 1930s. Production reportedly peaked in 1939, when the facility received between 200 and 400 tons of grapes per day and employed approximately 40 workers. A deep vat building, steam plant, and new cask facilities formed part of the industrial complex. Houppert also obtained casks from Al Capone's Prima Brewery, incorporating them into the winery's equipment resources. A destructive fire in 1940 transformed the property's history. The winery was badly damaged, although much of the stored wine survived and operations resumed in a limited form. Houppert commissioned a replacement main building from stonemason Ed Schallhorn. The new stone winery was built on the foundation of the 1903 structure, but reconstruction extended through 1943. The financial consequences of the fire were severe, and the business ultimately collapsed that year. John Turner, president of First National Bank of Lawton and holder of the property's mortgage, then assumed control. Because Turner also owned Michigan Wineries, he purchased Houppert's equipment and stock and folded the remaining Houppert operation into his own company. William Houppert moved to California but did not re-establish himself in the wine business. After Turner's death, Michigan Wineries eventually became Warner Vineyards. Warner operated the Lawton property until the early 1970s. By that point, the processing equipment had aged and wastewater-management problems had become more burdensome. Warner closed the site as a production facility and used it mainly for storage. The vats and casks were moved to another Warner location in 1989. The Lawton Lions Club purchased the complex in 1990 and undertook a conversion from industrial winery to community and heritage use. Renovations were completed in 1993. The former winery is now associated with the Lawton Heritage Community Center and Lawton Heritage Museum. The complex contains four principal structures: the 1940 fieldstone main winery, the 1939 deep vat building, the 1939 steam plant, and a warehouse built in the mid-1950s. The deep vat building's former basement vats have been covered or filled and the building is now used for storage, while the main winery serves community purposes. The property was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1997 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Its present identity is that of a preserved local landmark rather than an operating winery. Its importance derives from its association with regional grape agriculture, the history of Michigan wine processing, industrial architecture, and the community's adaptive reuse of a former production complex.
- 2000
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The complex received federal historic-place recognition.
- 1997
Designated a Michigan State Historic Site
[1]Michigan recognized the complex as a state historic site.
- 1993
Renovation completed
[1]Renovation work was completed, establishing the property as a community center and museum.
- 1990
Lawton Lions Club purchases the property
[1]The Lawton Lions Club acquired the complex and began its conversion to community and museum use.
- 1989
Vats and casks moved to another Warner facility
[1]Warner transferred the remaining vats and casks from the former winery to another facility.
- 1970
Production use ends under Warner Vineyards
[1]Warner Vineyards, the successor to Michigan Wineries, closed the property as a production facility and used it primarily for storage by the early 1970s.
- 1943
Houppert Winery collapses and operations are absorbed
[1]The financially weakened winery failed. John Turner assumed ownership and integrated its equipment and stock into Michigan Wineries.
- 1940
Fire destroys the winery
[1]A major fire destroyed the winery. Reconstruction of a new fieldstone main building began on the foundation of the original structure.
- 1939
Production reaches its reported peak
[1]The winery reportedly processed 200 to 400 tons of grapes daily and employed about 40 people. The deep vat building and steam plant were also constructed around this period.
- 1933
William C. Houppert acquires the property
[1]William C. Houppert of Indiana purchased the winery and began the period associated with the property's best-known name.
Products and positioning
A preserved former winery complex interpreted as a local heritage, architectural, and community venue.
Wine · 1903
Wine
Wine was one of the principal products made at the property during its operating history. The winery processed grapes from the Lawton and eastern Van Buren County area, and production was conducted alongside grape-juice processing. The site is no longer described as a commercial winery.
Non-alcoholic grape beverage · 1903
Grape juice
Grape juice was also produced at the complex during its commercial operating period. The available historical account identifies grape juice as a core use of the facility but does not specify individual labels, formulations, or product names.
Brand decisions
1990
Conversion from winery to community heritage facilityStrategyBackground
After Warner Vineyards had ended production use and moved the vats and casks elsewhere, the former winery was available for a new purpose.
Action taken
The Lawton Lions Club purchased the property and renovated it for use as a community center and museum.
Aftermath
Renovation was completed in 1993, and the property became associated with the Lawton Heritage Community Center and Lawton Heritage Museum.
1943
Houppert Winery operations absorbed by Michigan WineriesM&ABackground
The 1940 fire caused severe financial damage, and the winery did not recover fully during the reconstruction period.
Action taken
Mortgage holder John Turner assumed ownership, purchased the Houppert equipment and stock, and folded the operations into Michigan Wineries.
Aftermath
The Houppert Winery ceased to operate as an independent business, while the property later passed through the successor organization that became Warner Vineyards.
Sources1 sources
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