The building below was the original site of the old Dannheisser Brothers' Wholesale and Retail Liqour Company at 401 South Palafox Street. The building was built in 1884 and opened the following year. The company would stay in business until David Dannheisser's death on April 19, 1908. By 1910, the saloon was being run by William Henry Bibby who lived upstairs above the saloon. From that point on the building went through one proprietor and business after another. The Dannheisser family had its Pensacola beginnings around 1867 when Marx Dannheisser and his wife Jeanette Loeb appeared on the scene. What relation he has with the two brothers is unknown. Marx worked as a retail grocery and clothing merchant to support his family. He even joined with other German immigrants in 1870 to begin the "Germania Fire Company to provide fire protection to the citizens of Pensacola.
His daughters would marry into many of the local Jewish families including Pauline who married Morris B. Dannheisser, brother of David. He and David were both born in Germany, the sons of Markus Dannheisser and Regina Rummel Goldschmidt. David arrived in New York harbor on November 7, 1885 from Bremen, Germany. He proceeded to Pensacola where he married Estelle Forcheimer in 1892 and established their home at 21 West Belmont Street. His brother Morris would follow him in 1894. The brothers began making a profit through their Dannheisser Brothers Wholesale Liquor Company as well as serving as agents for the Acme Brewing Company. By 1908, Morris B. Dannheisser had become a saloon keeper at 13 West Zarragosa Street while living with his father-in-law at 222 North Spring Street.
However, 1908 brought tragedy to the Dannheisser family that changed their fortunes in Pensacola. On April 19th David was feeling poorly when he went into the bathroom. Somehow the gaslight lamp was turned on without lighting it and he succumbed shortly afterwards by asphyxia. David was buried at the age of 43-years old in the Temple Beth-El Cemetery. He was joined there by Estelle in 1960 and his son Bertram "Bert" Vivian in 1983. His remaining son Alvin David retired as a Army Lt. Colonel in the dental corps, serving in both WWI and WWII. He was buried in Citronelle, Alabama in 1965. His brother Morris and Pauline would be buried in Washington, D.C. Today, the old building at 401 South Palafox Street is now Don Alan's Apparel Store. The gas lights on the balcony are original to the building when it was first built... and are still operational.

Old Dannheisser Saloon located at 401 South Palafox Street

David's ship from Bremen, Germany 1885

David Dannheisser and family 1897
LtoR: David, Bertram "Bert" Vivian, Estelle, Alvin David

Dannheisser Brothers AD 1899

David Dannheisser Death Article PNJ 1908

Old home of David Dannheisser