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Neustadt, Ontario is a community in the Municipality of West Grey in Grey County in southern Ontario, Canada. The village is located south of Hanover on Grey Road 10 and an hour north of Guelph, Ontario and Kitchener, Ontario. Neustadt is a picturesque rural Ontario village with German roots and a village history full of vibrant farming culture. In their April 2000 edition, Harrowsmith Magazine named Neustadt one of Canada's ten prettiest villages as evidenced by the historic 19th century Victorian farmhouses highlighting Gothic Revival architecture. Neustadt is also featured in Country Living Adding to Neustadt's charm is the Georgian  style fieldstone Neustadt Springs Brewery   lining main street with shops full of antiques, and handmade items from local artisans.

History
The village’s name, Neustadt, is of German origin and it translates to “new town”. It was founded in 1856 by David Winkler, a settler from Germany. He purchased 400 acres from the government, laid out the town-site, dammed Meux Creek and completed a sawmill. A flour mill and grist mill were also erected near the dam the following year. Many other German speaking settlers began arriving immediately. Winkler also became the founder of many other institutions. For instance, he opened the first post office in town which was established in the year 1857, a position he held until 1878. Later on, he became a Justice of the Peace and eventually, Reeve of Normanby Township. In 1870, David Winkler lost a leg in a runaway horse accident and seven years later passed away.

John Weinert, a saddle maker from Prussia, moved into Neustadt in 1859 and proceeded to establish a tannery on the north side of William Street. By 1861, he had added a boot and shoe factory and soon was supplying footwear to the settlers. In addition, a proper German community would need beer, and a stone brewery was first constructed in 1859 by Henry Huether. The brewery continued to be opened and successful until the year 1916 when it became a creamery. For many years it remained empty and in the year 1997 the brewery was reopened as Neustadt Springs Brewery; which currently brews four brands of beer and has an on-site retail store.

In the early 1880’s, the village marked the high point of prominence and development. The opening of modern schools and new churches, businesses, and industries lead to a growth in population. It has never been as high since. Years later, small businesses, farm equipment dealer, creameries, woolen mills, egg grading stations, some stores and later banks began to vanish. Each closure was critical to the village. Fewer attractions meant fewer visitors; the economy and population soon began to decline. In 2000, the Village of Neustadt with the Townships of Bentinck, Glenelg and Normanby agreed to form the Municipality of West Grey.



Historic sites
Despite the beautiful collection of fieldstone farmhouses, churches and schools, the village is famous for its award-winning Neustadt Springs Brewery and its credence is only added with it being a member of the Ontario Craft Brewers association. Family owned and operated, Neustadt Springs Brewery was first established in 1859 and was built upon a fine source of clear spring water in Canada, which still flows through a network of caverns beneath the brewery. Reputed to being one of the oldest operating original brewery buildings in Ontario, the brewery has won several awards almost every year since 1999 and has been selected as one of the three most popular Tourism attractions in Grey Bruce Counties. The brewery holds guided tours to see the brewery caverns which were created by founder, Henry Huether. The tours also attracts a sizable crown for the original crystal springs beneath the building, for which tours are held every weekend between the months of May and September.

Another notable attraction in the village includes the family home of the late 13th Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker. The Diefenbaker House has now become part of a museum devoted to the British and Canadian Royal Family and is operated by the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust.

In 2009, St. Paul Lutheran Church, the Neustadt Baptist Church and the Neustadt Springs Brewery celebrated their 150 years of operation. A concert featuring The Johnson Quartet and Victory Gospel Quartet of Mississauga was held by the Neustadt Baptist Church as live entertainment for the evening. Though the brewery has changed management in the last 150 years, the present owners Val and Andy Stimpson, invited the brewery’s original founding family- the Huether family-from all over the world to attend the anniversary celebration. The Neustadt Springs Brewery also held an open house as a way to welcome the community, family, friends, and beer-lovers from all over. It also hosted a Toronto based Oompah band.

The churches were built using local stone in a European style by German stonemasons that settled in the area after they were imported by Henry Huether for the construction of the brewery.

Community Service
The municipality of West Grey Ontario and the village of Neustadt offer a wide variety of attractions and activities for tourists; it provides many services to area residents, including a Library, roads maintenance, parks and recreation. The village has a wide variety of garage sales and specialty shops selling antiques, fabrics, pottery, handmade items, primitives etc. Some of the most common places visited are the Neustadt Springs Brewery, The Antique Mill,The Carriage House, It’s my pleasure…Baking Sweet and Savory shop, Neustadt Lion’s Park, the historic buildings of the Neustadt Public Library and the 150 year-old fieldstone St. Paul’s Normanby Church. The Village also hosts annual events such as the Fall fair in September and the Fall Craft Fair in November.