First National Taphouse Grand Opening this Thursday (May 9)
The First National Tap House, an English-style pub, will have its Grand Opening this Thursday, May 9. Located in the newly remodeled First on Broadway Building, originally known as the “Bristow’s Brick Building”, it is a great sight for a new bar & restaurant.
Coined the oldest brick building in Lane County, the original building was built in 1866 for the mercantile firm of Bristow and Company by prominent historical names in local history such as T.G. Hendricks, E.L. Bristow and J.J. Walton. Seventeen years later T.J Hendricks and S.B. Eakin opened Hendricks and Eakin Bank (1883) and three years later (1886) the bank was nationalized and renamed “The First National Bank of Eugene.”
Owners Steve Master and Tim Weiskind bought the historic landmark with the idea of restoring some of the past, creating a place for the future and bringing to the center of Eugene a public house where people can meet, drink a local beverage, have something to eat and take in a movie.
The bar and kitchen of the First National Taphouse is nestled in one of the old bank vaults. Specialty beer (28 taps) from breweries all over the Northwest round out the tap and fine wine from the region. Three more ground-floor tenants will be joining FNT this very soon; the new Bijou Metro movie theater, Townshend's Tea Company and the Red Wagon Creamery.
Rowell Brokaw worked with the owners to design the upper floor and convert it from office use to 16 units of rental apartments, including two two-story lofts. The rest of the second floor is a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, and some of Eugene’s first micro-studio units. The smaller units are intended to make solo living in the center of downtown more affordable and expand the building’s tenant pool. Many of these brick features can be seen throughout the building.
