Current Events

When I photographed the littlest building in downtown, it was going through a transition from one coffee shop to another. As you can tell by the colors, it used to be very small Dunkin Donuts. By now, it is the Coffee King, an independent shop. Good for them.

I am most interested in how this building came to be. I can guess that there used to be a larger building behind it, or around it, and it was taken down. But why was this little portion saved? Or maybe it was constructed here?

Anecdotes

brosa  It seems that the facade of this building is metaphorical. they used the area behind it for a ground-level parking lot, and kept the front of the building to maintain the historical architectural fabric. It’s like the Mason building development- to the uncritical eye, an old building was preserved to maintain the historicity of downtown. In fact, it’s a “facade” of historic preservation that conceals the contemporary drive for downtown development.

James O’Reilly  James Lavell was my great-grandfather. I have a whiskey jug that reads James Lavell & Son 24-28 Fountain Street. This is interesting because he must’ve produced whiskey at that speakeasy. If anyone is interested in contacting me please do so. Thank you. (email AIR using the anecdote form below)

W Gnoza  A possible answer to the question why this building is here may be seen behind it in picture 01 (the Palmer Block). It was common on large projects to build a “Detail” closer to the ground where the folks who put up the money and designed it could see it full size and work out cosmetic schemes.

C Feisthamel  This building was owned by James Lavell during the first part of the 20th century.  He operated a business named Beacon Realty, which, during Prohibition, was used as a front for his Pawtucket brewery.  Clients would come in and order (and prepay) for kegs of full strength beer (“near” beer was allowed to be made), which was made at the former Hand brewery.  Lavell also ran a speakeasy down the street at 24-28 Fountain St, which boosted the “world’s longest bar”, which eventually became the more familiar Doorley’s.  The site is now a parking lot.  Lavell, who was arrested and convicted of federal tax evasion in 1931, went on to re-name the brewery the Rhode Island Brewing Company and operated it until his death in 1939. I am also told that the basement extends under the sidewalk.  I am unsure of what has happened to the little building since the 30's; I would hope that if the adjacent parking lots are developed, that the building is incorporated into the new structures.

Add your Anecdotes

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