For 80 years, the iconic figure of King Gambrinus was perched atop the Diamond State Brewery at Fifth and Adams streets in Wilmington, Delaware. Today, the 11-foot-tall sculpture survives in nearly 60 fragments. The Restore the King campaign aims to repair this rare 1882 zinc trade statue and return it to public view—honoring Delaware’s brewing heritage while celebrating the brewers who carry that tradition forward.

Statue Built to Crown a New Brewery

After a devastating fire destroyed the original Diamond State Brewery in 1881, proprietor Joseph Stoeckle rebuilt a larger and more imposing brick complex on the same site the following year. To crown the new building, he commissioned a monumental statue of Gambrinus—the legendary European “King of Beer.” Installed on July 8, 1882, in a third-story alcove, the vibrant sculpture celebrated the brewery’s rebirth and served as a striking advertisement visible across the city.

Stoeckle purchased the statue through J.W. Fiske & Company, a leading New York manufacturer of ornamental ironwork and zinc statuary. The piece was cast by M. Gebelt & Brothers of Williamsburg, Brookly—one of several foundries that produced Gambrinus figures from Fiske’s molds.

One of the Largest Zinc Trade Statues Ever Produced

Fiske offered the Gambrinus design in two sizes: a smaller 3½-foot model and a larger 10-foot, 3-inch version. Stoeckle selected the larger model and commissioned a full polychromatic finish. At nearly 11-feet tall, Fiske’s larger Gambrinus statues ranked among the largest zinc trade figures produced in 19th-century America.

A Beloved Landmark—Until Time and Change Took Their Toll

For decades, the iconic king toasted Wilmingtonians from his brewery perch, outlasting Prohibition, the Great Depression, and two World Wars. From one of the city’s tallest buildings set on one of the city’s highest elevations, Gambrinus the King raised his goblet towards the Christina River, beckoning thirsty railcar and shipyard workers to celebrate with a beer at the workday’s end.

The king’s reign ended in the mid-20th century. The successor to the Stoeckle brewing enterprise, the Diamond State Brewery, Inc., declared bankruptcy in 1954. The brewery complex was sold in 1956 to Cohen Brothers Furniture, and they used the brewhouse for storage. Just days after the sale, Gambrinus—perhaps in an act of royal defiance—finally lost the grip. The king’s goblet and right arm detached and plunged more than 30 feet to the sidewalk below, shattering on impact.

Unfortunately, the brewery was located directly in the path of the planned interstate highway through the city. By early 1962, it was evident it would be torn down.

A Winding Journey

In September 1962, before the brewery’s demolition, King Gambrinus was removed from his brewery perch and displayed briefly in the Cohen Brothers’ storefront window. Plans to restore and donate the sculpture to a museum never materialized. In 1963, it was sold to a local restaurateur.

The King’s New Kingdom and Unfortunate Accident

The Gambrinus figure was repaired, adding a new arm and goblet, and installed outside the King’s Inn Restaurant on Naamans Road in suburban Wilmington. The business was sold and became The Inn in 1972, but Gambrinus continued to toast passers-by until The Inn closed in 1974.

In the years that followed, the statue was kept in storage. In 1978, it was accidentally dropped during a move, breaking into more than 60 pieces.

Saved in Pieces, Ready for Restoration

The fragments were salvaged and eventually entrusted to Wilmington historian and metal restoration expert Robert Howard, who preserved them for decades. After his death in 2012, ownership of the pieces was transferred in 2014 to the Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the statue.

Today, the fragments are securely stored as the campaign for conservation and reassembly, Restore the King, moves forward. Once restoration funds are raised and work is completed, FDGS intends to donate the fully restored statue to the Delaware History Museum for public exhibition and long-term care. Fittingly, the museum stands nine blocks east of the Gambrinus’ original brewery home.

Rendering of the renovated Delaware statue

Why This Statue Matters

Fiske produced at least a dozen Gambrinus statues for American breweries in the late 19th century, but only five are known to have survived. Currently, two of the sculptures are on display in museums (Baltimore and Syracuse), one graces an outdoor brewery courtyard (Breinigsville, PA), one other has been taken off display (Toluca, MEX), and the pieces of the Delaware’s statue are in safe storage.

Delaware’s King Gambrinus statue is the most significant remaining artifact from Delaware’s “golden age of brewing” in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sculpture’s restoration is an apt symbol for the return of brewing as a key cultural and economic driver in the First State.

If you would like to help bring the Delaware’s King of Beer back to life, please consider making a donation to help Restore the King. Every contribution brings this remarkable figure one step closer to returning to public view.