Parts of the building dated from the late 17th or early 18th century.[1] A public house had stood on the site, at 16 Freeman Street, on the corner of in Park Street, since at least 1829, and possibly as early as 1815.[2] The name "Fox and Grapes", which refers to one of Aesop's Fables, The Fox and the Grapes, was in use by 1849.[2] The facade was remodelled in the mid-19th century.[3]
The pub was owned by Smiths Brewery, until taken over by Butlers (later Mitchell & Butlers), in 1957.[4]
One wing of the stuccoed brick building, which had a tiled roof, included a former coach house.[1] The already-derelict building was badly damaged by fire on the afternoon of 3 January 2015 – an incident which was attended by eight fire appliances from the West Midlands Fire Service.[4]
The building was given grade II listed status in July 1982,[1] legally protecting it from unauthorised alteration or demolition.[2] Despite this designation, the building was demolished overnight on Saturday 15Шаблон:Ndash16 September 2018.[4][5] The demolition was strongly criticised by a city historian, Professor Carl Chinn, who described the act as being "as mystifying as it is upsetting and disgusting".[4]
Birmingham City Council said that the demolition was "part of the HS2 Curzon Street Station development", referring to construction of the northern terminus of phase one of the High Speed 2 railway, nearby, and citing "structural issues" identified by "HS2's surveyors".[4]
The building was very near to the site of Island House, which was demolished controversially in 2012.[5]