Skip to main content
Menu

Historic Columbia

search toggle

Donate
menu close

Historic Columbia

Donate
collapse

Navigation

  • Tours
    • House Tours
      • Robert Mills House and Gardens
      • Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens
      • Mann-Simons Site
      • The Museum of the Reconstruction Era
      • Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
      • Hours and Pricing
    • Garden Tours
      • Garden Database
      • Plant Sale
    • Offsite Tours
      • Bus Tours
      • Walking Tours
    • African American History Tours
    • Online Tours
    • Group Tours
  • Events
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • House Tours
      • Bus Tours
      • Walking Tours
      • Early Adventures
    • Traveling Trunk
    • Homeschool Friday
    • Scout Troops
    • Summer Camp
    • Adult Education
  • Preservation
    • Current Projects and Initiatives
      • Bull Street Campus 
      • Columbia's Green Book Sites
      • Veterans Administration Regional Office
      • Women’s Club of Columbia
    • Preservation Awards
    • Resources for the Public
      • For Property Owners
      • For Neighborhoods
      • Take Action!
  • Support
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Membership
      • General Membership
      • Palladium Membership
      • Corporate Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Partners and Donors
  • Rent a Venue
    • Gardens of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
    • Seibels House and Garden
    • Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens
    • Gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion
    • Recommended Vendors
    • Contact Us
  • About
    • Blog
    • Board Members
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    • Gift Shop at Robert Mills
      • Online Store
    • Local History
      • Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative
    • Newsletter
    • Staff Directory
  • Frequently Asked Questions

1210-1214 Main Street

Brennen Building

Built circa 1870
Named for first owner Michael Brennen

  • Brennan Building

    C. Drie, Bird's Eye View of the City of Columbia, South Carolina, 1872. Image courtesy Library of Congress

  • Capitol Cafe, 1979.

    Capitol Cafe, 1979. Image courtesy Russell Maxey collection, Richland Library

  • Brennen building in 2011 before rehabilitation

    The Brennen building in 2011 before rehabilitation. Image courtesy Ted Nolan

This two-story masonry structure, erected by carriage maker and businessman Michael Brennen and advertised for rent in 1870, is representative of most commercial buildings erected in Columbia immediately after the Civil War, with the ground floor containing two storefronts and the upstairs being used for either residential or further commercial use. After its completion, Brennen briefly leased the building to black grocer Joseph Taylor. The lease was taken over in October 1871 by William M. Fine, who operated a restaurant, saloon, and billiard hall that remained in business through the end of Reconstruction in 1877. 

The Capitol Café, a popular restaurant for legislators, prominent citizens, and every-day diners, operated from the building’s 1210 address between 1911 and 2002, making that establishment the property’s longest-serving business. Tuesday nights were especially lively at the café, with “hootenannies,” a spontaneous dance party with live musicians providing entertainment. Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps show that the building’s cast-iron balcony, which evokes a French Victorian feel, was added sometime after 1919. Today, following award-winning rehabilitation work by owner First Citizens Bank, Blue Flour Bakery and Bourbon operate out of the Brennen building's two storefronts.

34.0019078, -81.0334992

Newsletter Signup

newsletter signup

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for events, news, and updates from Historic Columbia!

  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
Historic Columbia

© 2021 Historic Columbia

1601 Richland Street,
Columbia, SC 29201

(803) 252-7742
Website by Cyberwoven