Louis House was born in Pennsylvania. In 1867 he married Elizabeth Schmitt in Ellenville, New York, a union which produced 8 children. In 1886 Louis purchased Henry Hartmann's Brewery in Syracuse. He ran the brewery as a sole proprietor until 1893 when his sons were old enough to be brought in to management. The family operated the brewery until National Prohibition shut it down on January 16, 1920. House died seven years into the Noble Experiment on December 20th, 1937. He was 82 years of age.