Riverside City History
Brenner Home

The historic Brenner home at 2020 NW Platte Road commands a prominent knoll overlooking Highway 9 and the Missouri River. The house, originally painted white with bright red trim, includes a cellar with the hand print of its builder, Albert J. Brenner. The original three-room house, built in November 1899, is currently the oldest residential home in the Riverside area. The home was enlarged to nine rooms in 1909 to accommodate the Brenner's growing family of eight children. At that time, this home was considered the most modern of homes with its gaslights, furnace, water and indoor plumbing. Brenner dug two wells that pumped water up a very steep hill into a large reservoir system that supplied water for the home and a water hydrant for the barn.

Brenner made his livelihood farming the 60 acres surrounding the home. The soil was considered by many as unfavorable for crops to grow, but Brenner produced great quantities of grapes, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. He also had a large orchard of pear, apple and cherry trees. He was known as the "Pole Bean King Farmer" because he planted at least 10 acres of pole beans. During the harvest of fruits and vegetables, up to 200 pickers helped prepare the goods for sale at the city market.

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