Story

The history of 1906…

Thank you to Stephen Farrell and The Brown Library for gathering photos and resources to help us piece this story together.

Aside from property records, documented history of our location first appears in the 1830s with early newspapers and maps referencing Mr. J Selby’s Hotel at the corner of Market & Main. In the above photo, the dark building with two chimneys on the right side of the picture is the only known photo of what may have been Mr. Selby’s “Washington Hotel.” Mr. Selby often hosted the Washington Temperance Society, though it is unclear whether his establishment was kept dry pre-prohibition. 

Records then show it being named “The Martin House’ for some time before being sold and demolished to make space for the new Savings and Trust Bank.

The Progressive Era, a time of prosperity and social reform in the early 1900s, brought new construction to 100 West Main. In 1903 the Savings & Trust Bank was formed and opened the doors to this building in late 1906.

Since opening, this building has been a bank (twice), a watch store, a pharmacy, a soda counter, and many other endeavors. It’s said some of the best chicken salad in town was made in the basement. The 2nd and 3rd floors are newly renovated to host six short-term rental apartments, to open later this year.

Meanwhile,

Washington port logs and papers of the period show significant amounts of New England Whisky, Jamaican Rum, and Apple Brandy, along with many ads for “Oyster Saloons” - reasonably strong evidence that the town's whisky scene was alive and well during the beginning of Washington's rich boat-building history.

The era post-reconstruction was the height of early American cocktails and whisky production. The spread of ice houses and ice distribution fueled the popularity of recipes like the Old Fashioned and Julep across the South. These new cocktails, and the people flocking to drink them, gave steam to the revived temperance movement leading up to Prohibition. 

It’s a common misconception in American history we’re here to correct that Prohibition was the golden age of cocktails. The truth is, those with resources could stockpile fine whiskies, and those without turned to dangerous drinks flavored to mask the flavor of illicitly traded liquor. As a result, most great bartenders fled the country for London, France, and the Caribbean after the beginning of Prohibition in 1919.

It was around 1906 when new buildings were being built, ice houses around town, and the whisky was coming in steadily. We are inspired by this period of progress and time in Washington's cocktail history.

Today,

1906 Bistro & Bourbons is locally owned, operated, and run by a fabulous team of local staff committed to customer service.

The restaurant's renovation took around a year, opening in 2023. It was converted from a Boutique clothing store into a full-service bar. The terrazzo floors were uncovered, and the bar and tables were built with wood saved from the building renovation.

The 6 rooms above the bar became available for rent in 2024 and you can book a stay at www.thewestmain.com

We would love to have you come join us! If you have any questions feel free to email us at management@elitetruck.com