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The Robert Mills House will be closed to the public on Wednesday, March 22, through Sunday, March 26, 2023. Regular tours will resume on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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  3. Cottontown
  4. 1324 Confederate Avenue

1324 Confederate Avenue

1324 Confederate Avenue

Former Residence of Isidore Gergel

Throughout its existence Cottontown has featured a diverse cross-section of residents, some of whom have been cultural, business, and spiritual leaders. Isidore Gergel, a Russian immigrant and owner of the Washington Street Theatre, lived in Cottontown from 1928 until 1970. Gergel was hailed as a hero in 1915 for rescuing the House of Peace Synagogue Torah scrolls from fire. Twenty years later, as chairman of the Board of Directors for the synagogue, he oversaw the sale of the congregation’s replacement building on Park Street, which later, as an African-American nightclub, became renown as the birthplace of the Big Apple.

  • 1324 confederate

    Former Residence of Isidore Gergel, 2018. Historic Columbia collection

  • Men of Beth Shalom

    Past presidents of Beth Shalom in the early 1960s, left to right: M.B. Kahn, Isidore Gergel, Meyer Katz, Irwin Kahn, Leonard Bogen, Jake Freed, and Ben Stern. Image courtesy Beth Shalom Synagogue

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    Historic Columbia

    © 2023 Historic Columbia

    Administrative Offices
    1601 Richland Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Tours
    All historic house and garden tours start at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills.
    1616 Blanding Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Questions? Call (803) 252-7742.

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