Highland Spring Brewery Bottling and Storage Buildings
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic brewery, bottling, storage, and later industrial complex in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood, now rehabilitated for low-cost housing.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Highland Spring Brewery Bottling and Storage Buildings are a historic industrial complex at 154–166 Terrace Street in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood. The site consists of several brick buildings constructed and adapted over more than a century. Its principal surviving structures include the four-story Romanesque brewery building at 164 Terrace Street, erected in 1892 by the Highland Spring Brewery, and a five-story Georgian Revival building at 154 Terrace Street, added in 1912 for storage and bottling-related use. The complex also includes the building later associated with the Oliver Ditson Company, a significant American publisher of sheet music. Highland Spring Brewery itself was established in 1867 by two immigrants, one Irish and one German. The brewery became a successful producer of lagers, ales, and porters and eventually developed a reputation extending beyond Boston. The brewery's production and storage arrangements were connected by a tunnel and piping system, reportedly serving both operational and legal purposes. Brewing at the site ended when Prohibition began in 1920. After Prohibition, the 1892 building returned to brewing activity when one of Highland Spring's former brewmasters opened Croft Brewery there in 1933. Croft was acquired by Narragansett Brewing Company in 1952. Narragansett operated the premises for approximately one year before closing the plant and transferring production to its Rhode Island brewery. The later Rhode Island operation continued until 1981, but the Boston premises no longer functioned as a Narragansett production site. The 164 Terrace Street building subsequently experienced several industrial uses. In 1958 it was acquired by R & S Pickle Works, which produced kosher pickles there until the mid-1980s, when its new owner, Hebrew National, closed the plant. The building then stood vacant until 2008. The 154 Terrace Street building followed a different commercial path. Oliver Ditson Company acquired it in 1925 and used it for sheet-music printing until 1931. It was then acquired by Theodore Presser Company, which continued printing operations there into the 1950s. Later, Barb Corp used the building as a printing plant under the Salem Press name. After Salem Press ceased operating in the mid-1980s, the building was used as a warehouse by Graphique de France for the remainder of that decade before also becoming vacant. Beginning in 2008, the buildings were rehabilitated and converted into low-cost housing, giving the former industrial complex a new community-oriented use while retaining its historic significance. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 2010. Because the subject is a named historic building complex rather than a currently marketed consumer brand, information such as executives, products, advertising campaigns, financial performance, and public-market status is not applicable or unavailable.
History
The history of the Highland Spring Brewery Bottling and Storage Buildings begins with the Highland Spring Brewery, founded in Boston in 1867 by two immigrants, one Irish and one German. The brewery developed into a successful regional producer of lagers, ales, and porters and eventually acquired a reputation reaching a national audience. The surviving complex reflects the expansion and reinvention of that enterprise rather than a single construction campaign. The principal brewery structure at 164 Terrace Street was built in 1892 as a four-story Romanesque industrial building. A separate five-story Georgian Revival building was constructed at 154 Terrace Street in 1912. The brewery used the buildings for distinct production, storage, and bottling functions. A tunnel and piping connection linked the structures; the available historical account associates this arrangement partly with legal considerations as well as the practical movement of materials between buildings. Highland Spring ceased brewing operations when national Prohibition began in 1920. The complex nevertheless remained connected to manufacturing and commercial activity. In 1925, the 1912 building was acquired by the Oliver Ditson Company, an important sheet-music publisher. Ditson used the building for printing until 1931, when Theodore Presser Company acquired it and continued operating there into the 1950s. A later owner, Barb Corp, operated a printing plant under the Salem Press name. Salem Press ended operations in the mid-1980s, after which Graphique de France used the building as a warehouse for the remainder of the decade. It then remained vacant for a period. The 1892 brewery building returned to brewing in 1933, after Prohibition ended, when one of Highland Spring's brewmasters established Croft Brewery there. Narragansett Brewing Company acquired Croft in 1952 and operated the site for about one year. Narragansett subsequently closed the Boston plant and moved production to its Rhode Island brewery. The Rhode Island operation lasted until 1981, but this did not restore the Terrace Street complex to long-term brewing use. In 1958, the 164 Terrace Street building was acquired by R & S Pickle Works. The company produced kosher pickles there until the mid-1980s, when Hebrew National, its new owner, closed the plant. The building remained unoccupied until 2008. By that time, the former brewery and the former printing building had both become important examples of Mission Hill's industrial heritage. A rehabilitation project beginning in 2008 converted the buildings into low-cost housing. This adaptive reuse preserved the complex while changing its function from industrial production and storage to residential use. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 2010. Its significance derives from the combination of architectural character, Boston brewing history, industrial continuity, and the succession of businesses that occupied the structures after Highland Spring's brewery closed.
- 2010
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The complex received National Register recognition on May 28, 2010.
- 2008
Rehabilitation for low-cost housing begins
[1]After long periods of vacancy, the historic buildings were rehabilitated for residential use.
- 1958
R & S Pickle Works acquires 164 Terrace Street
[1]The former brewery building became a kosher pickle production facility.
- 1952
Croft acquired by Narragansett Brewing Company
[1]Narragansett acquired Croft and operated the premises for approximately one year before closing the Boston plant.
- 1933
Croft Brewery opens in the former brewery building
[1]One of Highland Spring's brewmasters reopened brewing activity at 164 Terrace Street under the Croft Brewery name.
- 1925
Oliver Ditson Company acquires the 1912 building
[1]The sheet-music publisher acquired the building at 154 Terrace Street and later used it for printing.
- 1920
Brewing operations end during Prohibition
[1]Highland Spring stopped brewing when national Prohibition began.
- 1912
Five-story storage and bottling building added
[1]A five-story Georgian Revival building was added at 154 Terrace Street.
- 1892
Main brewery building constructed
[1]The four-story Romanesque building at 164 Terrace Street was constructed for Highland Spring Brewery.
- 1867
Highland Spring Brewery founded
[1]Two immigrants, one Irish and one German, established the Highland Spring Brewery in Boston.
Products and positioning
A preserved Boston industrial and architectural landmark associated successively with brewing, food processing, music publishing, printing, warehousing, and affordable housing.
Brand decisions
2008
Adaptive reuse of the industrial complexStrategyBackground
Both principal buildings had experienced extended vacancies after their industrial and printing uses ended.
Action taken
The complex was rehabilitated and converted into low-cost housing.
Aftermath
The redevelopment preserved the historic structures while giving them a residential function.
1920
Highland Spring ends brewing operationsStrategyBackground
National Prohibition made the brewery's ordinary alcoholic-beverage business impossible to continue.
Action taken
The brewery ceased operations at the beginning of Prohibition.
Aftermath
The buildings later served other industrial occupants, and the 1892 structure briefly returned to brewing as Croft Brewery after Prohibition.
Sources2 sources
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