Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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| Eblana Brewery/Hampden Auto Parts | Mission Hill |
| • Unusual Queen Anne
industrial architecture with a prominent three-story oriel • One of the last intact brewery complexes in historic Stony Brook Valley industrial area • Unsympathetic infill of monumental window openings has compromised building's architectural significance • Owner reportedly has shown no interest in Main Street façade improvement assistance |
|
| Name: Eblana Brewery/Hampden Auto Parts | Bldg SqFt: 60,461 | Lot SqFt: 74,278 | |
| Address: 123-125 Heath Street | Ward: 10 | Parcel: 1281 | |
| Neighborhood: Mission Hill | Zoning: Local Industrial Subdistrict (LI) | ||
| Year Built: 1886 | Use: Occupied by owner for auto parts manufacturing | ||
| Style: Queen Anne | Condition: Good | ||
| Architect(s): Otto Wolf | Owner: Max Glassman Trust 117 Heath Street Boston, MA 02130 |
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| Historic Certification: National Register eligible | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: $313,000 FY02 Building Assessment: $109,100 |
FY99 Tax: $20,705 FY02 Tax: $19,002 |
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| FY99 Land Assessment: $246,000 FY02 Land Assessment: $517,400 |
Tax Status: Current | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Monitor the building for signs of either a) deterioration or b) a change in the nature of auto parts business suggesting that there is a need or opportunity to utilize the potential for their building in new ways. Consider preparing a feasibility study on the viability of re-using the building for some combination of uses which will add to rather than detract from the streetscape and restore window openings.
Significance:
The Eblana Brewery is one of several late-19th century brewery complexes located in the Stony Brook Valley industrial area of Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. The Eblana is especially noteworthy for its very fine Queen Anne design, with its front elevation characterized by a monumental three-story oriel surmounted by a granite arcade. Otto Wolf, the Eblana’s architect, was a prominent Philadelphia architect who specialized in breweries. The property consists of an intact assemblage of brewhouse, storehouse, boilerhouse, and bottling plant. John R. Alley, a skilled brewer from Ireland, established the brewery in 1885, where he produced 80,000 barrels of ale and porter annually. Massachusetts Breweries Co. bought out Alley and nine other local brewers in 1900 to form the largest brewing company in the state. Prohibition ended brewing operations at the Eblana, which became a wool warehouse in the 1920s and a soft drink bottling plant through the 1950s. An automobile parts manufacturing company has operated out of this building since 1960.
Preservation Challenges:
The monumental window openings on the building have been infilled since about 1960, when the current owner converted the property to an auto parts manufacturing facility. The alterations have significantly compromised the building’s high level of architectural integrity as one of the finest examples of a Queen Anne industrial building in the city. The owner is reportedly unwilling to participate in the Main Street façade improvement program.
Neighborhood Context:
The property is located on a somewhat isolated stretch of Heath Street at the west end of Mission Hill. It is across from the Heath Street Public Housing Development.
Other Sources of Information:
BLC form #705: Parker Hill/Mission Hill Inventory
Entry Completed: 05/07/1999
Due to repeated, unsolicited interest in redeveloping the building and accompanying property into residential housing, the owners listed the property with Prudential Prime Properties in July for $5.5 million. The owner has also expressed interest in working with Main Street to improve the exterior appearance of the building.Update Entry Completed: 08/12/2002
