SW corner of the island; private property, not open to public inspection

Until 1865, most of the grapes grown on the Island were shipped to Cleveland, Sandusky, Cincinnati, and as far away as St. Louis to be made into wine. In that year, the Kelley's Island Wine Co. was formed with a capitalization of $100,000.

At first the company rented facilities, but the next year it began building a structure to house its wine-making operations; a special dock was erected on the south side of the Island to convey the product to off-island markets.

In 1876, a disastrous fire destroyed the original building, but, by 1878, at the expense of $55,000, a huge, stone structure was in place. Beneath it four large, vaulted cellars served as storage and ageing space for the wine.

The company remained in business until the passage of the 18th Amendment, which made wine production illegal in the United States. Subsequently the wooden portions of the building burned, though the solid stonewalls, much weathered, still stand and the vaults under the structure remain in good condition. As early as 1872, the Kelleys Island Wine Company produced over twice as many gallons (163,550) as all of the other Island wineries combined.

From Kelleys Island, A Tour Guide