Historic saloon with coal-miner phantoms in basement cells
103 Pennsylvania Ave, Roslyn, WA
Age
21+ for bar service; families welcome in dining area until 9pm
Cost
$$
Restaurant and bar pricing; meal costs vary
Access
Wheelchair OK
Ground floor dining; basement access restricted to staff
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1898 · Oldest continuously operating bar in Washington · Coal-mining heritage · Frontier commercial building
The Brick Saloon opened in 1889 in Roslyn, Washington, during the height of the coal-mining boom that characterized the Kittitas Valley. The original saloon served miners, logging workers, and railroad employees—the rough labor class that drove the region's early economy. In 1898, a devastating fire destroyed the building, and it was rebuilt using approximately 45,000 bricks, demonstrating Roslyn's commitment to reconstruction.
The reconstructed saloon features a remarkable 100-year-old back bar originally crafted in England, shipped around Cape Horn to Portland, Oregon, and eventually acquired for the Roslyn establishment. The bar's longevity and craftsmanship make it an architectural artifact of significant heritage value. A basement level beneath the saloon once housed jail cells used to confine rowdy patrons and maintain order.
During Prohibition, the Brick operated through access to one of Roslyn's numerous clandestine tunnels, distributing illegal alcohol throughout the region. The saloon has remained in continuous operation longer than any other bar in Washington State, surviving Prohibition, economic downturns, and cultural shifts.
Sources
The Brick Saloon's paranormal reputation focuses on the basement jail cells where unruly patrons were once confined. Multiple witnesses report a sensed presence in these enclosed spaces—a feeling of being watched or accompanied by unseen company. The basement cells represent a site of confinement, frustration, and likely death for some of the transient miners and laborers imprisoned there.
Additional reports describe apparitional sightings: a little girl has been observed in the building, and witnesses have reported a cowboy-dressed figure. Most distinctively, the piano in the back room reportedly plays of its own accord when no one is present, suggesting either residual activity or intelligent haunting behavior. The combination of phenomena suggests multiple entities or manifestations, possibly representing different eras of the saloon's long operation.
Notable Entities
Dine at the legendary Brick Saloon, established in 1889 and rebuilt in 1898 after a devastating fire. The saloon features a historic 100-year-old back bar and operates in a building with reported apparitions and sensed presence from its coal-mining past.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Clayton, CA
The Clayton Club Saloon at 6096 Main Street in Clayton, California occupies a building first put up by Jacob Rhine around 1873 and later expanded by Carl Berendsen in 1905, who renamed it the Clayton Club and incorporated a structure shipped from San Francisco to Martinez and onward to Clayton.
Chippewa Falls, WI
The Sheeley House Saloon was built in 1864 and stands as the oldest continuously operating saloon in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Originally a livery and boarding house, the building came into the hands of Irish immigrant James Sheeley and his wife Kate in 1905. Kate Sheeley died in the building in 1934, an event frequently cited in accounts of the property's paranormal reputation.
Minneapolis, MN
The building at 507 Washington Avenue North in Minneapolis's North Loop has served alcohol continuously since 1885, making the location among the longest continuously-operating drinking establishments in Minnesota. It operated as Louis Maurer's Gluek's-affiliated saloon from 1894 to 1944, then under various owners, and has been Cuzzy's Bar & Grill since 1995 under owners John Lee and Bobby Goral. Louis Maurer, a German immigrant, ran the bar with his wife Elizabeth and sons Fritz and Charles until his death by suicide on June 25, 1909 at the family's Medicine Lake cottage; Elizabeth then ran the saloon as the only female saloon-keeper in Minneapolis at that time.