Perched three stories atop the Diamond State Brewery at Fifth and Adams streets in Wilmington, Delaware for 80 years, the iconic figure of King Gambrinus once reigned supreme over the city. Today, the 11-foot-tall sculpture of the king survives only in fragments. The goal of the Restore the King campaign is repair this rare 1882 zinc trade statue and return it to public view, honoring Delaware’s rich brewing history and celebrating today’s brewers who carry that tradition forward.

Statue built to crown a new brewery

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

Stoeckle purchased the statue from J.W. Fiske & Company, a leading New York supplier of architectural iron and zinc figures. It was cast by M. Gebelt & Brothers Company—one of three Williamsburg, Brooklyn foundries Fiske regularly employed to produce Gambrinus statues, alongside Joseph A. Stoll and M.J. Seelig & Company.

The 11 ½-foot zinc figure was purchased from the M.(ichael) Gebelt & Brothers Company of the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, as indicated on the plaque at statue’s right base. Gambrinus was cast from a mold owned by the J.W. Fiske & Company, a prominent Manhattan manufacturer of ornamental iron works and zinc statuary. Fiske typically outsourced their zinc statue foundry work to local firms. In fact, identical examples of the Fiske Gambrinus statue were made not only by Gebelt but at least two competing Williamsburg foundries—Joseph A. Stoll and M.J. Seelig & Company.

One of the largest zinc trade statues every produced

Fiske produced the Gambrinus design in two sizes: a 3½-foot model (No. 401) and a larger 10-foot, 3-inch model (No. 402). Buyers could choose a single primer coat or, for an additional charge, a polychromatic paint finish. Stoeckle selected the larger No. 402 version—among the biggest zinc trade statues made in America during the 19th century.

Beloved landmark—until time & demolition caught up

For decades, Stoeckle’s vividly painted Gambrinus stood in a rooftop alcove high above the brewery—outlasting Prohibition, the Great Depression, and two World Wars. From one of Wilmington’s tallest buildings, set on one of the city’s highest elevations, the King raised his goblet toward the shipyards and rail lines along the Christina River, a watchful presence for generations of working Wilmingtonians and a gleaming invitation to celebrate with beer at day’s end.

Alas, King Gambrinus’ long reign came to an end in the mid-20th century. The successor to Stoeckle’s operation in the post-Prohibition era, Diamond State Brewery, Inc., fell on hard times and declared bankruptcy in 1954. The once-proud brewery complex slid into decline and was sold in 1956 to Cohen Brothers Furniture for storage. Just days after the sale, Gambrinus—perhaps in an act of royal defiance—finally lost his grip. The king’s goblet and right arm plunged more than 30 feet to the sidewalk below, where they shattered on impact.

Worse was yet to come. The abandoned brewery stood directly in the path of the planned Adams–Jackson Freeway—today’s Interstate 95—and by late 1962, the historic complex was demolished, erasing a landmark from Wilmington’s skyline and leaving the battered king without a throne.

Winding journey

Before the wrecking crews arrived, the Cohens removed Gambrinus from the brewery and temporarily displayed him a few blocks away in the window of their furniture store at 511 Madison Street. Early conversations about restoring the statue and donating it to a museum never materialized. Instead, the Cohens sold the figure to Wilmington restaurateur Francis Corridori in 1963.

Corridori repaired the King—adding an extended right arm and goblet—and placed him outside his King’s Inn Restaurant at 2020 Naamans Road. The business was sold and became The Inn (1972), but Gambrinus continued to toast passing cars until that restaurant closed in 1974.

The statue remained in storage for several years, occasionally being removed for surprise appearances around town. In August 1978, the sculpture was inadvertently dropped while being moved—dashing it into more than 60 pieces.

Saved in pieces & ready for restoration

The surviving statue fragments were carefully salvaged and, sometime in the 1980s, came into the care of Robert Howard, a Wilmington historian and metal restoration expert. Howard proved to be a devoted steward of the king’s remains, safeguarding the pieces for decades until his death in 2012. In recognition of that stewardship, his estate transferred ownership of the statue’s fragments in 2014 to the Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue, Inc. (FDGS), a nonprofit formed to ensure the statue’s restoration.

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 & why help now

J.W. Fiske sold more than a dozen 11-foot-tall Gambrinus statues to breweries from the late 1870s through the 1890s. Only five are known to survive. Three are displayed in museums, and one is outdoors at a brewery—making the Delaware statue one of the largest 19th century American brewing artifacts.

The King Gambrinus statue is the most significant surviving symbol of Delaware’s brewing “golden age” from the mid-19th through the early 20th century. Its restoration is an apt symbol of the rebirth of the First State’s brewing industry and beer’s return as a key economic, cultural, and social driver..

If you’d like to help bring the King back to life, please consider making a donation to Restore the King. Every contribution moves this rare Delaware icon one step closer to returning to public display.

Read archival stories about the King Gambrinus statue here.