The city of Hoquiam Register of Historic Places just got a little longer as a bar on Lincoln Street has been added to the list.
Hoquiam City Council voted in support of the building’s inclusion Monday night.
The Local 101 Bar & Grill — 322 Lincoln St., owned by Kelli Osborne and Molly Moody, is a 64-year-old bar that was built in 1960. The married co-owners of the one-story establishment applied to have the building on the registry on Jan. 24. The bar was considered by the Hoquiam Historic Preservation Commission on Feb. 21.
The register “recognizes properties that are at least 50-years-old (or of lesser age that are of exceptional importance) and which are important for one or more of the following reasons,” according to the registry’s criteria for evaluating buildings and structures.
Of the four criteria, Local 101 made it because of its historical importance. That criterion is described below:
“The property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history,” the application for listing on the registry states. “The site is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.”
The Local 101 is the 19th listing to the registry, according to Angie Bieker, Hoquiam’s community development technician.
Owner’s reaction
“We’re very excited,” Osborne said. “We’ve known lots of people who have frequented (the place) throughout the years, whether it’s the 101, Mom & Pops, or other bars. We’re really excited to get this remodel done and to bring it back to life and have another place for locals to hang out.”
Osborne said the bar will be “for all local residents on the Harbor and tourists passing through, to shoot some pool, play some darts and enjoy some good company.”
As of now, Osborne estimated it’ll take six months to get everything going — from the renovations to the liquor license, but she’s hoping it’ll be sooner than that.
Osborne said a “huge part” of their business plan is to draw tourists and people passing by.
Adding The Local on the list
According to Brian Shay, Hoquiam’s city administrator, projects that get put on the city’s register can be eligible for grants such as the “Third Places” grant.
“Third Places grants are administered by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation under contract with Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, through the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program with federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The grants are designed to support the rehabilitation of historic properties and foster economic development in rural communities by funding capital preservation projects for historic sites used as third places,” according to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation website.
Osborne nominated the building for the registry. This is what she wrote on the application.
“The (Local) 101 Bar & Grill, located at 322 Lincoln St., in Hoquiam, was built in 1960,” Osborne wrote. “It has been a popular hangout and watering hole to Hoquiam locals for generations. Whether it was J & A Tavern, Mom & Pops, or the 101 Bar and Grill, it has seen few changes over the years.”
Getting to know the owners
Osborne talked about how the bar changed her life for the better — she and Molly found each other. They’ve been married since 2016 and they’ve been together “going on 15 years.”
“The best part about it is we actually met at the 101,” Osborne said. “It’s kind of full circle. I’ve been a bartender for the past 15 years and she’s been in the industry for longer than that.”
Buying the property was an obvious next step for the couple.
“When this property became available for purchase we jumped at the chance to restore and reopen this place that not only brought us together, but many people over many decades,” Osborne said.
Osborne said she and Moody want to “keep with the spirit of this bar.”
“We plan on doing very little in the way of changes to its original interior layout,” Osborne wrote in the application. “The exterior … will remain as it currently is, a quaint, shingled, little bar. The interior will keep the original floor plan with new bar top, back bar, seating and kitchen; all dedicated to a period appropriate industrial/local Hoquiam bar.”
Local 101 will feature several styles of beer — from pale ales to stouts, with six beers on tap. Plus, they’ll have spirits and wine.
“We’re intending on having a house beer but I’m not sure when that’s happening,” Osborne said.
The couple is aiming to make the house beer a lager.
In addition to Osborne’s written reasons for adding the bar to the historic registry, she received testimonials from fans of when the bar was Mom & Pops. The testimonials included a fun Halloween night, meeting friends at the “comfortable and relaxing” bar, how it was a place where “locals could touch base,” how it was a “safe place that many of my friends would just stop off after work for a quick beverage.”
It sounds similar to Ace of Clubs Tavern, where it’s more of a communal hangout than “just” a bar.
City opinion
Steven Puvogel, Hoquiam City Council president, weighed in on the work of the Historic Preservation Commission, which recommended the city add the bar to the registry.
“I’m really grateful for the work of the Historic Preservation Commission in recommending this,” Puvogel said. “It’s important that we honor our ‘third places’ and this one has been a part of our community for several decades now. I’m really excited to see what work the owners have planned for this location.”
Shay added a couple of his thoughts to the bar’s addition to the registry. He sounded pumped for Osborne and Moody, as well as for the city.
“It’s awesome to see that we have local individuals who are willing to restore this cool, historic tavern and invest in our community,” Shay said. “Having a local register of historic properties made this project feasible as it might not have otherwise been financially feasible. We have seen several historic taverns demolished in Aberdeen in recent years, including the Pourhouse, Blue Eagle and Liberty Tavern. Even if buildings are repurposed for something other than the tavern, their historic character is an important asset we want to retain for our identity and legacy.”
Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.
