Stone Arch Brewpub

Stone Arch Brewpub occupies one of Appleton’s oldest surviving brewing sites, where beer has been made for more than 160 years. The building at 1004 S. Olde Oneida Street dates to 1858, when German immigrant Anton Fischer established the first brewery in Outagamie County. Carl Muench took over in 1860 and added a beer garden that became a local institution. A major fire destroyed part of the building in 1884, but it was rebuilt and brewing resumed the same year. The property later became part of the George Walter Brewing Company, which produced the popular Adler Brau beer before the brewery finally closed in 1974. After serving other purposes, the historic building returned to brewing in 1989 as the Adler Brau Brewery and Restaurant. Tom and Steve Lonsway took over in 2004 and opened Stone Cellar Brewpub, which became Stone Arch Brewpub in 2017.

The building’s long history is also the reason Stone Arch has become one of Appleton’s best-known haunted bars. Employees and customers have reported pint glasses apparently moving from the bar onto the floor or into the dishwasher, objects shifting without explanation, and glasses breaking on their own. The spirit responsible has traditionally been called Charlie, although paranormal investigators have suggested the entity could be former brewery owner George Walter. The haunting has attracted professional paranormal attention, with reports of shadow figures and other unexplained activity. A 2025 account also introduced a different name, Eddie, and described an investigation in which the spirit indicated that investigators had identified its name incorrectly. The combination of a 1858 brewery, a devastating 1884 fire, more than a century of changing occupants, and recurring reports of unexplained activity makes Stone Arch Brewpub one of the more intriguing haunted locations in Appleton.

Reported Paranormal Activity

• Pint glasses move by themselves, sometimes sliding or falling from the bar
• Employees and patrons have reported glasses being propelled into the dishwasher without anyone touching them
• Objects are moved or displaced without an apparent cause
• Glasses break without explanation
• Shadow figures appear during paranormal investigations
• The building’s elevator opens on its own when the building is otherwise empty.
• The spirit has traditionally been called Charlie, with some paranormal researchers suggesting Charlie may actually be George Walter.
• A 2025 paranormal investigation account refers to the entity as Eddie and claims investigators received an apparent response after using the wrong name.