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Hand Brewing Company: 1898-1933
Rhode Island Brewing Company: 1933-1938
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| The Brewery as it appeared at the Dawn of the 20th Century |
The Hand Brewing Company was located on Mendon Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Without
a doubt, it had the most colorful history of all of the breweries to ever operate in the Ocean State . The brewery was established
in 1898 by Michael Hand, Sr., and his son, Michael Hand, Jr.
Michael Hand, Sr. was no stranger
to the brewing business. He was previously involved with the Gulf Brewing Company of Utica, New York, and both the
Scranton and Lackawanna Brewing Companies which were located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Records show that his son,
Michael, Jr. resided at 161 Cottage Street in Pawtucket.
During it's heyday, the Hand Brewing Company thrived
with it's production of Celebrated Half Stock Ale, Lager Beer and Porter. It proclaimed that it's products were
"The Beverage for the Man that Works." The brewery had an annual production capacity of 100,000 barrels
a year. It even had it's own bottling facility, hiring Francis Gavin to manage it's bottling department
in 1907.
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| Tin Sign in original Wood Frame |
Sadly, Michael Hand, Sr. passed away in 1911. Michael Hand, Jr. took over the
operations of the brewery until his own death, just four years later, in 1915. This left Mrs. Annie E. Hand
to serve as both the company's president and treasurer. As the country slipped into the dark days
of Prohibition, Annie and the Hand Brewing Company managed to get themselves into trouble on more than one occasion.
With the Volstead Act and the enactment of Prohibition in 1920, the Hand Brewing Company struggled for survival.
During the early twenties, the brewery was given a permit to produce low alcohol content cereal beverages. These attempted
to look like real beers, but they were actually only 1/2 of 1% in alcohol content. They included such delicacies as Pilsner
"style", Sparkling, Celebrated Half Stock, and Stout.
Despite being able to produce these quasi-beers legally, the Hand Brewing Company tested the Federal Prohibition
Act on more than one occasion by producing real beer. Obviously, the Federal Government frowned upon this
practice and the brewery was raided on numerous occasions. This became a huge financial burdon on the
Hand Brewing Company during already difficult times. In a 1983 Pawtucket Times article, Robert R.
Hand (Michael Hand Sr.'s second son and Michael Hand, Jr.'s brother) claimed that the brewery was under
the impression that it was doing nothing wrong by producing the illegal suds. According to Mr. Hand, a local
politician allegedly allowed the brewery to produce real beer. Apparently, what he gave them was a bum
steer as this politician, according to Mr. Hand, allegedly ended up taking out false mortgages
on the brewery. Apparently, these mortgages were foreclosed in 1930 and the Hand family ended up losing their brewery.
Or so the story goes.
Enter James Lavell.
James Lavell was a bottler and wholesaler at 24-28 Fountain
Street in Providence. His business, James Lavell & Sons, became known along the underground circuits in
Rhode Island as a speakeasy during the years of Prohibition. Just a stone's throw away from the local police precinct, it
somehow managed to receive a blind eye from the local authorities despite the fact that it was known to have "the
longest bar in Rhode Island." During Prohibition, James Lavell ran a company known as Beacon Realty at 42 Fountain
Street. Allegedly this realty company was actually a front for his brewery in Pawtucket - the former Hand Brewing
Company. Rather than looking for an apartment to rent, customers would come in and order full strength kegs of beer.
Eventually, the Federal Government caught on. Lavell was fined on more than one occasion for producing and selling illegal
beer. He would be arrested and convicted of federal tax evasion in June of 1931. James Lavell would serve 18 months in the
Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. He would, however, pump $100,000 into modernizing the brewery just before the repeal of Prohibition
in 1933.
After Prohibition, James Lavell would rename the Hand Brewing Company the Rhode Island Brewing Company
and begin brewing legal beer. He would produce Rhode Island Special Brew, Special Ale, Celebrated Half Stock, Special
Porter, and Lavell's Celebrated Half Stock Ale.
Due to fierce market competition, the Rhode Island
Brewing Company was only able to survive for five years, closing it's doors forever in 1938.
James Lavell
passed away in 1939 at his home. He lived at 38 Park Place in Pawtucket. According to the June 9, 1939 edition of the Pawtucket
Times, James Lavell was found in his car by his chauffeur. The article also cites he was on trial for income tax evasion.
The brewery had all the components to what makes a great movie.
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| R.I. Brewing Co. Tray 1930s |
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| R.I. Brewing Co. Tap Knob 1930s |
The Hand Brewing Company building still stands. While it has lost it's upper
ornate floor and a portion of it's large smoke stack, it is still very recognizable. It is located a few blocks away from
McCoy Stadium, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, Triple A affiliate of the seven time World Champion Boston Red Sox. James Lavell's
speakeasy is now gone. Prior to it being torn down, it was known as Doorley's Bar. The site is currently a parking lot.
42 Fountain Street still stands. A tiny little building, it stands like an oasis in a sea of asphalt.
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| The Brewery Building as it looked in 2006 |
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