Last year after a wonderful brunch at the Down Town Café  those attending the Society Spring Brunch were treated to a tour of Vincent Lodato’s Wine Cave on McEntee Street, Rondout/Kingston. [www.wine-storage.com] At that time it was assumed that the Wine Cave was created as the result of quarrying the rock for blue stone. Others have suggested that possibly it was a test to see if the rock could be used to make cement.  

Last fall a descendant of Abraham Crispell sent the Society a copy of the original agreement between Abraham Crispell, the owner of the property in the 1850s, and Martin Uhle and William Bertsche, partners in this venture. Abraham Crispell was a Rondout physician. Abraham’s father, Peter Crispell, and uncle, G. DuBois Crispell had also been doctors practicing in Hurley and Kingston.
    
“This article of agreement made and entered into this first day of October A.D. 1856 between Abraham Crispell of the village of Rondout in the town of Kingston County of Ulster and State of New York party of the first part and Martin Uhle and William Bertsch of the same place parties of the second part.

Witnesseth that the said party of the first part hereby grants and permits the said parties of the second part to tunnel into the bank of his lot situate in the village of Rondout aforesaid. Situate on Holmes St  [now named McEntee St. Ed.] being the same lot now occupied by the said party of the first part. The southerly side if the said tunnel to commence two feet northerly of the northerly  line of Joseph F. Davis lot. And to take twelve feet northerly so as to give the said parties of the second part twelve feet front for the purpose of the said tunnel and to run the said tunnel back into the bank not to exceed eighty feet. The said tunnel shall only be used for the purpose of storing Lager Bier.

The said party of the first part hereby reserves to himself the right to put up a building in front of said cellar but not so as to obstruct  the free ingress and egress of the said parties of the second in and from the said tunnel or cellar.

The said partys of the second part covenant and agree with the said party of the first part to pay him in consideration of the forgoing privilege the sum of fifteen dollars per year for the term of five years from the date hereof and it is covenanted and agreed by and between the said parties hereto that the said parties of the second part shall have the privilege of using and occupying for the term of five years in addition to the five years herein mentioned.

If they shall so desire this article shall extend to and bind the heirs executors administrators and assigns of the respective parties hereto.

In witness we have herewith set our hands and seals the day and year first above written.”
 
There are notations on the agreement indicating that the yearly fee of $15 was paid on October 1st  1857, 1858 and 1859.

There is no indication that the rent was paid in 1860 or any year after that.

William Bertsche should be noted as a pioneer in the brewing of beer in Kingston/Rondout. Having acquired the right to dig a  cave into the solid rock for storing beer in 1856 Bertsche continued in the brewery business for the next twenty years operating a brewery located first on the corner of Hone and Spring Streets. Bertsche added George Hauck to his brewery staff in 1861. Three years later Hauck left to form a brewery in partnership with George Dressel. William Bertsche is listed in the 1864 Kingston/Rondout directory operating a brewery located now at Hone and German Streets. Bertsche continued to brew beer at least till 1871, at the Hone and German Street location in Rondout. William Bertsche died some time before 1878, as there is only mention of Williams wife.   

In 1857 Martin Uhle, Bertsche’s partner in the cave project, operated a bakery which was located on Abeel St. corner of Post St. and lived on Abeel St. corner of Post St. A few years later (1864) he had traded his bakers apron for that of a saloon keeper. Uhle’s saloon was still in business in 1879. A great partnership, Bertsche brewed the beer and Uhle sold it in his saloon.

Additional information on George Hauck and other Kingston/Rondout brewers may be found at THIERRY'S web site: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/brewerianakingston/hauck.html