History

The building was originally owned by the Seegers and Habenicht families who owned multiple buildings and business throughout Columbia. The fire of 1865 destroyed most of Columbia’s Main Street (originally Richardson Street) but property owners were quick to rebuild. Among those property owners was John C. Seegers who owned two buildings on Main Street that were destroyed in the fire. Seegers and his business partner and son-in-law, C.C. Habenicht, were among Columbia businessmen of German descent who not only contributed to the rebuilding of Main Street but who also played a big part in the local saloon and brewery industry of the 1800s. Seegers, and eventually Habenicht as well, owned several businesses including ice factories, bottling plants, breweries, and saloons.

The 1600 block of Main Street housed almost every liquor store on Main Street through the late 1880s, including Seegers and Habenicht’s 1635 Main Street saloon. As advertisement for their saloon, a beer barrel on top of a post was located outside the building; this saloon signage was recreated recently in honor of Seegers and Habenicht. The saloon at 1635 Main Street operated until a change of liquor laws in 1892 prohibited all but government agencies to sell and manufacture liquor. Even after the change to the laws shut down their breweries and liquor stores, the Seegers and Habenicht families continued to find success through their business enterprises and remained prominent and prosperous Columbians until their deaths. Over the course of their careers, Seegers and Habenicht purchased and built several buildings throughout downtown Columbia either for their family homes or to house their ice plants, breweries, and bottling factories. Today, 1635 Main Street and 1631 Main Street (to the south) are the only buildings that remain to demonstrate the family’s contribution to Columbia’s built environment. As a building that was part of the reconstruction of Main Street and has association with historically prominent businessmen, 1633-1635 Main Street is an important building to the history of the City.