Allen Brothers Milling Company
A historic Columbia, South Carolina, flour and cornmeal mill best known for its Adluh brand.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Allen Brothers Milling Company is a historic grain mill located at 804 Gervais Street in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1900 by B. R. Crooner and his family, the company developed around the processing of soft wheat and regional corn into flour, cornmeal, grits, baking mixes, and breading products. Its best-known consumer brand is Adluh, a name closely associated with South Carolina baking and Southern-style corn products. The mill's history reflects the consolidation and financial pressures that shaped the American milling industry during the early twentieth century. After its founding, the business merged with Columbia Grain & Provision Company, which was owned by J. H. Hardin. The operation later entered foreclosure proceedings initiated by First Commercial National Bank. In 1926, the Allen family of Wadesboro, North Carolina, purchased the mill and continued its operation, giving the business the Allen Brothers name under which it became a long-lived South Carolina institution. Allen Brothers is notable for its continuity and for the survival of its original industrial identity. It has been described as the second- or third-oldest continuously operating electrically powered soft-wheat mill in the United States, depending on the historical source. It is also identified as the last operating mill in South Carolina. The mill's endurance is particularly notable against the decline of the state's milling sector: of the 42 mills reported to have operated in South Carolina during World War II, only Greenwood Roller Mills and Allen Brothers remained by 2003. The company produces and sells flour, stone-ground white and yellow grits, cornmeal, biscuit mix, sweet-potato mix, cobbler mix, cornbread mix, chicken breading, seafood breading, hushpuppy mix, and pancake mix. Adluh products emphasize regional raw materials, including South Carolina wheat and yellow corn and Tennessee white corn. The products carry the Certified South Carolina Grown label, and Adluh flour has been designated South Carolina's official state flour. Production retains elements of the mill's traditional process. The operation uses stones in grinding and continues to use its original roll stands. Reported daily capacity is approximately 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of flour, 25,000 pounds of cornmeal, and 6,000 pounds of grits. The resulting positioning combines local sourcing, Southern culinary tradition, historic continuity, and small regional manufacturing rather than national-scale commodity branding. The available reference material does not identify a current owner, senior leadership team, corporate parent, public listing, or official company website.
History
Allen Brothers Milling Company began operations in 1900 in Columbia, South Carolina. The mill was founded by B. R. Crooner and his family and was established to process soft wheat and regional corn into staple food products. Its location at 804 Gervais Street placed the business within Columbia's industrial and commercial landscape, where it became part of the state's broader network of grain-processing enterprises. During its early history, the company merged with Columbia Grain & Provision Company, an enterprise owned by J. H. Hardin. The combined business later experienced financial difficulty and was placed into foreclosure by First Commercial National Bank. In 1926, the Allen family, based in Wadesboro, North Carolina, acquired the mill. The purchase enabled operations to continue and established the Allen family connection reflected in the company's enduring name. The mill survived a long period of consolidation in the American grain industry. South Carolina had 42 operating mills during World War II, but only Greenwood Roller Mills and Allen Brothers were still operating by 2003. Allen Brothers is consequently regarded as the last operating mill in South Carolina. Historical descriptions also place it among the oldest continuously operating electrically powered soft-wheat mills in the United States, although sources differ over whether it ranks second or third. The company became particularly associated with Adluh flour and related regional food products. The origin of the Adluh name is uncertain. One explanation connects it to Hulda, a daughter of founder B. R. Crooner, while another attributes the name to the daughter of Pierre Mazyck. Neither explanation is presented as definitively established. Regardless of its precise origin, Adluh became the mill's principal consumer-facing identity and developed a strong association with South Carolina food culture. Allen Brothers' product range expanded beyond basic flour to include cornmeal, white and yellow grits, baking mixes, pancake mix, hushpuppy mix, and chicken and seafood breadings. The company emphasizes regional agricultural inputs: Adluh products use South Carolina wheat and yellow corn as well as Tennessee white corn. Its products carry the Certified South Carolina Grown label, and Adluh flour is recognized as South Carolina's official state flour. The production process retains traditional features. The mill uses stones in its grinding process and continues to operate its original roll stands. Reported daily output is approximately 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of flour, 25,000 pounds of cornmeal, and 6,000 pounds of grits. These details distinguish the mill from a purely historical site: it remains a functioning producer while preserving equipment and methods associated with its earlier industrial history. The available material does not establish the identity of the current owner or managers, disclose financial results, or provide a confirmed company website. It does, however, characterize Allen Brothers as an operating South Carolina mill whose significance rests on longevity, local agricultural sourcing, the Adluh brand, and continued production in a state where nearly all comparable mills have disappeared.
- 2003
One of two surviving South Carolina mills
[1]By 2003, Allen Brothers and Greenwood Roller Mills were identified as the only survivors of the 42 South Carolina mills operating during World War II.
- 1926
Allen family acquisition
[1]The Allen family of Wadesboro, North Carolina, purchased the mill and continued its operations.
- 1900
Mill founded in Columbia
[1]B. R. Crooner and his family founded the mill in Columbia, South Carolina.
Merger with Columbia Grain & Provision Company
[1]The mill later merged with Columbia Grain & Provision Company, owned by J. H. Hardin.
Foreclosure proceedings
[1]First Commercial National Bank placed the mill into foreclosure before its later purchase by the Allen family.
Adluh flour recognized as South Carolina's official state flour
[1]The Adluh flour brand became associated with South Carolina's official state-flour designation.
Products and positioning
A heritage Southern grain mill centered on regional sourcing, traditional stone and roll-stand processing, Certified South Carolina Grown products, and the Adluh brand.
Flour
Adluh flour
The mill's signature flour offering and most recognized consumer product. Adluh flour is associated with South Carolina food culture, uses regional soft-wheat inputs, and is identified as South Carolina's official state flour. The brand's appeal rests on local sourcing and the continuity of a historic operating mill.
Corn products
Stone-ground grits
Allen Brothers produces both white and yellow stone-ground grits. The products reflect the mill's continued use of traditional grinding equipment and its focus on staple Southern corn foods. South Carolina and Tennessee corn are among the regional ingredients associated with the Adluh range.
Corn products
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is a core product of the mill and is used in Southern cooking and baking, including cornbread and hushpuppies. Reported production capacity is approximately 25,000 pounds per day, illustrating its importance within the operation's product mix.
Baking mixes
Baking mixes
The product range includes biscuit, sweet-potato, cobbler, cornbread, and pancake mixes. These products extend the brand from commodity flour and meal into convenient mixes designed around familiar Southern baking and dessert preparations.
Coatings and breading
Chicken and seafood breading
Allen Brothers produces breading mixes for chicken and seafood. These products apply the mill's flour- and corn-based expertise to prepared coatings used in Southern-style cooking.
Baking mix
Hushpuppy mix
Hushpuppy mix is a prepared corn-based product aligned with the mill's Southern regional identity and its broader range of cornmeal and cornmeal-derived foods.
Sources1 sources
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