Purity Distilling Company
Purity Distilling Company was a Boston-based chemical company that produced ethanol and became associated with the 1919 Boston Molasses Disaster.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Purity Distilling Company was a chemical enterprise based in Boston, Massachusetts, whose principal activity was the production of ethanol through distillation. The company operated in an industrial environment in which molasses served as an important feedstock for alcohol manufacture. Its history is most closely associated with a large storage tank at 529 Commercial Street in Boston's North End. The tank was constructed in 1915 and was one of the company's largest industrial storage facilities. It stood approximately 50 feet high and 90 feet in diameter, with a capacity of as much as 2.3 million U.S. gallons of molasses. On January 15, 1919, the tank failed catastrophically, releasing a massive wave of molasses into surrounding streets. The event, later known as the Boston Molasses Disaster or Great Molasses Flood, killed 21 people and caused extensive damage and disruption in the neighborhood. The disaster prompted a lengthy cleanup that took approximately six months. It also led to litigation against Purity Distilling Company. The company was ultimately required to pay more than $1 million in settlement claims, according to accounts of the disaster. The episode became a significant example in discussions of industrial safety, engineering oversight, construction standards, and corporate responsibility. Purity Distilling Company was purchased in 1917 by United States Industrial Alcohol Company, making it a subsidiary before the 1919 tank failure. Available reference material does not establish the company's founding year, founder, later corporate status, or a continuing consumer-facing brand presence. Its historical identity is therefore primarily that of an industrial ethanol producer and subsidiary rather than a modern packaged-goods brand.
History
Purity Distilling Company was a Boston, Massachusetts chemical company focused on producing ethanol by distillation. The available historical record presents it as an industrial operation rather than a consumer brand. Its manufacturing activity was connected to the use and storage of molasses, an important raw material in alcohol production during the period. A major storage tank associated with the company was built in 1915 at 529 Commercial Street in Boston's North End. The structure was approximately 50 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter and could hold up to 2.3 million U.S. gallons of molasses. At the time, the tank represented a substantial industrial installation in a densely populated urban district. In 1917, United States Industrial Alcohol Company purchased Purity Distilling Company, which then operated as its subsidiary. The ownership change occurred two years before the company's defining historical event. On January 15, 1919, the molasses tank collapsed, sending a large wave through nearby streets. The disaster killed 21 people and caused extensive property damage and disruption. It is commonly called the Boston Molasses Disaster or Great Molasses Flood. The aftermath involved a major cleanup operation lasting about six months. The incident also generated legal claims against the company. Purity Distilling Company was sued and eventually had to pay more than $1 million in settlement claims. The event has since been discussed as a case involving industrial construction, inspection, safety management, and the responsibilities of companies operating large storage facilities in urban areas. The supplied references do not establish when Purity Distilling Company was founded, who founded it, how long it continued operating after the litigation, or whether it maintained a distinct corporate identity after its acquisition. Consequently, its documented history is concentrated on its ethanol-manufacturing role, its 1917 relationship with United States Industrial Alcohol Company, and the 1919 tank failure and its consequences.
- 1919
Boston Molasses Disaster
[1]The company's large molasses tank collapsed in Boston's North End. The resulting flood killed 21 people and caused extensive damage.
- 1919
Litigation and settlement claims
[1]After the tank failure, the company faced lawsuits and was forced to pay more than $1 million in settlement claims. Cleanup reportedly continued for approximately six months.
- 1917
Acquisition by United States Industrial Alcohol Company
[1]United States Industrial Alcohol Company purchased Purity Distilling Company, which became a subsidiary.
- 1915
Construction of the Commercial Street molasses tank
[1]Purity Distilling Company constructed a large molasses storage tank at 529 Commercial Street in Boston. The tank was approximately 50 feet high, 90 feet in diameter, and capable of holding up to 2.3 million U.S. gallons.
Products and positioning
An industrial chemical producer specializing in ethanol manufacture through distillation.
Industrial chemical
Industrial ethanol
Purity Distilling Company's documented specialty was ethanol manufactured through the distillation process. The product was produced in an industrial setting rather than marketed as a consumer beverage or packaged retail product. Molasses storage was part of the company's operating infrastructure and was directly connected to the industrial context of its production activities.
Controversies
1919
Boston Molasses Disaster
A molasses storage tank associated with Purity Distilling Company collapsed in Boston's North End, killing 21 people. The event led to extensive cleanup, lawsuits, and settlement payments exceeding $1 million. It remains the central controversy and historical liability associated with the company.
Recent events
- 1919
Purity Distilling Company's molasses tank collapses in Boston[1]
Other · Lawsuit
A large molasses tank operated by Purity Distilling Company at 529 Commercial Street failed, releasing millions of gallons of molasses into Boston's North End. Twenty-one people died, and the incident became known as the Boston Molasses Disaster.
- 1919
Purity Distilling Company faces settlement claims after the Boston Molasses Disaster[1]
Lawsuit · Other
Following the tank failure and resulting damage, Purity Distilling Company was sued and was ultimately required to pay more than $1 million in settlement claims.
Sources1 sources
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