Haffenreffer Brewery

Haffenreffer Brewery
An undated photograph of the Haffenreffer brewery, which once had a famous tap that poured out free beer day and night. The area was bustling, and on many days the smell of hops filled the air.[2]
LocationGermania Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°18′52″N 71°6′15″W / 42.31444°N 71.10417°W / 42.31444; -71.10417
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1877
ArchitectM.W. Fitzsimmons et al.
NRHP reference No.82004453[1]
Added to NRHPMay 2, 1982

The Haffenreffer Brewery, was established in 1870, in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.[3][4][5][6] The Haffenreffer Brewery was founded by Rudolph Frederick Haffenreffer, a German immigrant who arrived in Boston after the Civil War.[7]

History

Following Rudolph's death on March 8, 1929, the business became turned over to his sons, Rudolf F. Haffenreffer Jr. (1874–1954) and Theodore Carl Haffenreffer (1880–1956).[8][9] The brewery was subsequently run by other members of the Haffenreffer family, including Rudolph Frederick Haffenreffer III (1902–1991),[10] his brother Carl W. Haffenreffer (1906–1999),[11] and their first cousin, Theodore Carl Haffenreffer III (1917–2008).[12] Having survived the era of Prohibition and operating for nearly a century, the brewery closed by 1965 leaving Massachusetts at the time without a brewery for the first time in 300 years. Since its close some brands like Haffenreffer Lager Beer, Pickwick Ale and Pickwick Bock Beer became the property of the Narragansett Brewing Company. Other brands included Haffenreffer Private Stock, a legacy of the original Haffenreffer & Co. product line, was a brand of malt liquor that ceased production in 2013. The company's brands had several historical nicknames: The "Haffenwrecker", "The Green Death", due to relatively high alcohol content and "The Green Monster", (referring to the left field wall at Fenway Park). It was notable due to the Rebus puzzles under the bottle cap and due to the label recommendation of consuming it "on the rocks" or over ice.

The first Haffenreffer bottles were plate mold bottles and were produced by Karl Hutter of New York and had the traditional lightning stop tops.[13] According to Haffenreffer company records later in 1876 the Haffenreffer Brewery contracted with Dean Foster and Company of Boston to aid in the production of bottles for the brewery and the growing demand. Starting in 1893, all Haffenreffer bottles were produced with Karl Hutter stoppers.

Haffenreffer complex

At its pinnacle the complex contained 14-buildings with a tower building, main brewery, storage building, paymaster’s office, stables, and an extensive bottling plant, etc.[4][14]

The main brewery building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982.[15][16]

Real estate development

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) which owns and operates it today, redeveloped and has rehabbed the entire Haffenreffer complex.[17][18][19] Situated blocks from the Stony Brook MBTA station, and the 1980s redeveloped 4-mile long Southwest Corridor Park between Forest Hills and Back Bay; the Boston Beer Company, brewer of Samuel Adams beer, has been an anchor tenant and investor in the complex since the mid-1980s and offers tours of the brewery there.[3][20][21][16]

The top of the smokestack from the old Haffenreffer Brewery crumbled and had been partially restored to current building codes- so the letters on its side read FENREFFER BREWERS for more than 30 years. In late 2016, a local artist installed a circular steel frame on the top with the letters HAF, which restored the smokestack to its full name.[22][23]

Among those businesses sharing the facilities today along with Boston Beer are:[24]

  • Bella Luna Restaurant[25]
  • Bikes Not Bombs[26]
  • City Life/Vida Urbana[27]
  • Children's Music Center of JP[28]
  • Keshet
  • Kenyon Woodworking
  • JP School of Dance[29]
  • Mike's Fitness[30]
  • The Parent Review[31]
  • ULA Cafe[32]
  • Women in the Building Trades

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Haffenreffer Malt Liquor". Falstaffbrewing.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Christine McConville (February 17, 2006). "The toast of JP". The Boston Globe. The N. Y. Times Co. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Boston's Lost Breweries". Jamaica Plain Historical Society. July 4, 2004.
  5. ^ "From Colonial Taverns to Craft Beer Festivals: The Story of Brewing in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Brewers Guild.
  6. ^ "Jamaica Plain Historical Society - 'Victorian Era' Editor - - History of Beer Making in Jamaica Plain". Jphs.org. September 11, 1992. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  7. ^ "History of Beer Making in Jamaica Plain". Jamaica Plain Historical Society. April 13, 2004.
  8. ^ "Haffenreffer Private Stock: The Malt Liquor with the Imported Taste". Falstaff Brewing Corporation. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  9. ^ "Inductee Details: Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, Jr". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  10. ^ "Inductee Details: Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, III". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  11. ^ "Inductee Details: Carl W. Haffenreffer". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  12. ^ Bryan Marquand (January 15, 2009). "Theodore Haffenreffer, 91; ran brewery". The Boston Globe. Globe Newspaper Company. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  13. ^ "Bottle Finishes & Closures: Part III: Types of Bottle Closures: LIGHTNING-TYPE CLOSURES". Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  14. ^ Pollan, Rosalind; Pollan, Rosalind (February 7, 1983). "Jamaica Plain preservation study". Boston : Boston Landmarks Commission : Boston Redevelopment Authority – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ Galvin, William Francis (2022). "State Register of Historic Places" (PDF) (PDF). Massachusetts Historical Commission. p. 27. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  16. ^ a b "Haffenreffer Brewery: National Register of Historic Places Materials". Jamaica Plain Historical Society. August 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "JPNDC marks 35 years of rebuilding JP – Jamaica Plain Gazette". jamaicaplaingazette.com.
  18. ^ writer, Staff (March 16, 2020). "City of Boston CPA Awards $3.5 Million in Historic Preservation Grants".
  19. ^ "Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation". Jpndc.org. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  20. ^ "Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation :: Brewery Small Business Complex". Jpndc.org. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  21. ^ Ertischek, David (February 4, 2021). "The History of Jamaica Plain's Breweries".
  22. ^ "An old brewery's name restored in Jamaica Plain - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  23. ^ Ertischek, David (March 3, 2017). "Haffenreffer Chimney Restoration Formally Unveiled, Honored With City Proclamation".
  24. ^ Swenson, Sally. "The Brewery Directory".
  25. ^ "Bella Luna Restaurant - Jamaica Plain, MA". Milkywayjp.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  26. ^ "Using the bicycle as a vehicle for social change". Bikes Not Bombs. December 27, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  27. ^ "City Life Vida Urbana | Building Solidarity To Put People Before Profits". Clvu.org. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  28. ^ "Children's Music Center of Jamaica Plain - Welcome". Jamaicaplainmusic.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  29. ^ "Tony Williams Dance Center | Celebrate Dance With Diversity!". Jpdanceclass.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  30. ^ "Mike's Fitness JP - Fitness For All!". Mikesfitnessjp.com. July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  31. ^ "TPR Media LLC". Tprmedia.com. August 19, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  32. ^ —Ella B., Los Olivos, CA. "Home | Ula Café". Ulacafe.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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