Falstaff Apartments (New Orleans, Louisiana)

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In 1936, Falstaff purchases National Brewing Co. of New Orleans for $543,700 after first considering the Jackson Brewing Company (Jax) and Gulf Brewing of Houston, owned by Howard Hughes. This building becomes plant 4 in the Falstaff Company and operates until 1978.

The structure on the top of the tower is the "Weather Ball" which used to give colored weather forecasts. The ball turned green to signal fair weather, red to tell of cloudy skies and a flashing red light was warning of rain. If the letters of the Falstaff name were lit from the bottom up, the temperature was rising. When they were lit from top to bottom, the temperature was falling. Flashing lights on the letters meant a constant temperature.

The statue above (King Gambrinus, a 12th century Flemish nobleman who legend has it brewed the first beer) sits atop the 204,000-square-foot former brewery.

This building has now been cleaned and refurbished into 149 apartments.