The Molony Building

The Molony Building. 158 Church Street. This corner building was constructed shortly after the end of the Civil War under the ownership of Ireland-native Mary Monaghan Molony, widow of John Molony, who purchased the property in 1854. Earlier structures on the site were destroyed in The Great Charleston Fire of 1861. One of the Molonys' eight children, James, operated a grocery store and saloon on the first floor and resided in one of the dwelling units above until 1910. The saloon is documented as one of the earliest Irish-owned establishments of its kind in Charleston. Clandestine operations reportedly continued on the premises after South Carolina gained sole authority to sell liquor in 1892. Terms alluding to the illegal sale of alcohol during the Prohibition Era, like "café" and "blind tiger," were often used in reference to the Molonys' business. The property remained in the Molony family for more than 65 years until 1919., The three-story, brick building with a north-facing piazza retains many of its original features, including the Church Street storefront with four segmental arched openings. Other original features, like the parapet roofline, cornice, string course, and window lintels, all executed with simple brick detailing, represent the influence of the Greek Revival style., In 1944, the New Deal era federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation converted the building's upper floors into apartments for civilian wartime workers. 20th century ground floor tenants included numerous wholesalers, like beer distributor John R. Brown and Wise Potato Chips, as well as a series of restaurants. In 1981, the Board of Architectural Review denied a request to demolish this building after it suffered fire damage, which led to its ultimate rehabilitation.