Haffen Brewing Company

Haffen Brewery, later J&M Haffen Brewing Company, and incorporaterd as Haffen Brewing Company in 1900,^[1] operated in Bronx, New York from 1856 until 1917. Owned by Matthias Haffen, (1814 - 1891),^[1] who came to the United States From Bavaria in 1831, it was a "landmark" on old Melrose Avenue between 151st Street and 152nd Street.^[2][3] The Haffen Building, a seven-story Beaux-Arts architecture style office building by architect Michael J. Garvin was built for him in 1901 to 1902. ^[1] He married Catherine (Hays) Haffen (1823-1888), an emigrant from Limerick, Ireland, in 1840. They had six children. ^[4]

Matthias's German-Irish sons included John Haffen (1847-1910), two term Bronx Borough President Louis M. Haffen and Henry (1852-1932), who served on the New York Board of Aldermen. John Haffen took over the brewery and was involved in banking, including as a founding of Dollar Savings Bank.^[1] He was also involved in a funding deal for Wakefield Park, in return for a beer concession, but blue laws kept the park and its planned Sunday Iriash athletic events from happening.^[5][4]

The third generation of Haffen's in the Bronx included John Matthias Haffen (born in 1872), a bank executive and president of The Bronx Board of Trade.^[1]

The brewery business was sold to Jacob Ruppert, Sr. (1842–1915) in 1914 for $700,000. Ruppert died soon after and left the business to Jacob Ruppert, Jr. The plan was to close the brewery down and develop the property; it was in a rapidly growing area known as The Hub, Bronx.^[6]

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