American Brewing Company

About this Property

#Last Tenant

Capital Records Management, Inc. was the most recent tenant at this property, with an incorporation date of 1989 and a dissolution date of 2013.¹ The property was then likely listed for sale, though we can not tell when the listing on Loopnet was active.

In 2016, it looked like the building had a buyer that applied for historic tax credits. Freedom City Properties applied for a “$10-million conversion to 32 apartments and commercial spaces, including a theater and artist work space.”² The plan seems to have not materialized, as the building looks the same as it did 6 years ago.

Since then, no news has surfaced about the fate of this large, iconic landmark building on the edges of Olneyville and Federal Hill.

#Current Events

We are unsure what condition the building is in or what the plans are for renovation (if any).

#History

From the National Register Nomination Form by Edward Sanderson, May 2016

The Main Building is a 170’ by 120’ massive, three-story (approximately 60’ in height), brick structure drawing predominantly from German Romanesque Revival architectural traditions. The exterior surfaces are brick with rough-faced granite trim and elaborate brick corbeling extending, in some cases, down much of the vertical face of regularly-spaced pilasters. A granite beltcourse demarcates the ground floor from the floors above. Two continuous, corbeled brick ledges occur at the termination of the windows’ round arches. The building foundation is rough-faced granite ashlar blocks at grade with wetlaid rubble below.

Distinct from the more utilitarian west and north elevations (Eagle Street and the rear), the south and east walls present a highly-ordered interplay of Romanesque windows, pilasters, and corbeling of the pilaster capitals in the German Romanesque style. As built, the brick walls were pierced by regularly-placed tall Romanesque arch window openings of two different sizes and set in brick-trimmed recesses. Although predominantly brick-filled in the mid-20 th century, the original window openings described above are plainly discernible in the surviving brick trim and granite sills. In many cases, the round-arch wood transom sash has survived while the lower part of the window opening is bricked-in. Industrial steel sash, 9-light windows were inserted in the bricked-in areas.

The historical main entrance to the offices is still in use today. This entrance opens along Harris Avenue to Room 101 and comprises a modern glass and aluminum door set in a recess and accessed by granite steps. It is framed within a large, shallow arch, the uppermost portion of which held a hemispheric, wood-frame, 8-light window. Although bricked-in on the exterior of the building, this original window survives in place in Room 202A.

[…] As built in 1892, a hipped turret surmounted the Office and Malt Mill with water tank enclosures and an arcaded cupola vent over the Brew House. These roof features likely were damaged or destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938. Elimination of these structures coincided with removal of significant architectural features along the roofline, including a gabled parapet rising over the center bays of the Stock House and a highly-elaborated section of the Malt Mill roofline that included six oculi and a bracketed cornice. The roof is now generally flat, supporting cellular telephone equipment. […]

Full Document

From the “Industrial Sites and Commercial Buildings Survey (ICBS)” by PPS and the AIA, 2001-2002

The American Brewing Company Building stands three stories in height with both a one-story and a two-story addition to the rear. The main block of the brick building is trimmed in stone and embellished with brick corbeling at the cornice and top story. Projecting brick piers articulate each bay and windows are set within round-arch openings. The building is further articulated with crenellation and a stone stringcourse. A painted sign bearing the words “Capital Records Management” is prominently located below the cornice. The building’s main entrance is offset on its façade (south elevation) within a recessed opening set within a tall, round-arch entrance. A secondary pedestrian entrance is located on the east elevation and features a metal-and-glass door set within a recessed opening. Four vehicular entrances with roll top doors are located on the east elevation. A paved lot bordered by a chain link fence is located to the east.

The building was constructed in the late nineteenth century possibly for the American Brewing Company, who purchased the property in 1892. The building was then purchased by the Providence Brewing Company in 1897. The building appears on the 1937 map as the Providence Storage Warehouse along with two outbuildings. The warehouse was owned and operated by Herbert and Raymond Green and was later known as the Green Storage Warehouse. Green Warehouse appears in the 1950 directory and is identified as the occupant on the 1983 Sanborn map. Capitol Records Management Center currently occupies the building.