Soda fountain in historical WA town broke after 100+ years. It’s getting a $100k glow-up
The musky-pink marble and sturdy silver spigots of the vintage soda fountain inside Steilacoom’s The Bair Drug and Hardware are in excellent condition. Hats off to the maker, believed to be Bastian-Blessing, one of just two major American manufacturers when this one was installed in the early 20th century.
But the contraption, as pretty as it is, has been out of commission since 2019, frustrating many visitors to this quaint bistro and “living museum” at 1617 Lafayette St.
This month, it’s getting some serious self-care — more than $100,000 worth.
When the fountain went down, recalled Sara Reid, who has operated the restaurant here since 2011, “We got a lot of grief from people. I don’t even know what it looks like in this market. I think it’s gonna be a huge thing for people to come back to.”
The Bair Bistro closed Jan. 6 to begin the restoration project and anticipates a mid-February reopening.
On Monday, the countertops were awash in stuff. There was a hole in the floor where the fountain and bar usually stood. Rush Construction crews and an electrician worked to ensure fresh pipes and wires were in good order before they replaced the flooring they had ripped out last week.
Back in its rightful place, the relic will be surrounded by modern coolers and freezers, a stainless steel work surface, a new sink and a small dishwasher for glassware — a setup that will foster a “much more efficient” situation for staff and customers, said Reid.
For preservation purposes, the vintage fountain won’t be used for every single soda or float. One spigot will function as the “photo-opp” handle. A new carbonated beverage machine will be tucked under the bar for daily use in a change from the previous reliance on cans.
Green River fountain syrup, born in the Midwest, will remain. Reid described the mysterious flavor as “not quite like having a 7-Up, or having an apple soda, or just, like, lemon-lime.”
Hard-scoop milkshakes, core to The Bair experience, will live on: “Milkshakes are the reason why we have the ice cream,” she said.
PERHAPS WA’S OLDEST SODA FOUNTAIN
W.L. Bair, a pharmacist, moved his business here from Commercial Street in 1895, when the long-gone trolley started running. It was the first building in Steilacoom connected to electricity. Bair nearly doubled the footprint in 1906, adding a post office, a hardware store and the soda fountain.
After falling into disrepair, Bair’s relatives donated the building to the museum association around 1975, according to The News Tribune archives. Volunteers sorted through the collection of artifacts and organized a garage sale, shedding duplicates or non-original pieces. The proceeds, about $3,000 according to current museum curator Marianne Bull, helped fund initial renovations. Volunteers joined woodworkers and carpenters from the Army Corp of Engineers, she said, and The Bair reopened to the public in 1979 as a museum and cafe.
Docents staffed the space for the first few years. “We quickly realized we didn’t want to run the business,” said Bull.
Tenants came and went over the years, including one that offered afternoon tea and another cooking classes. One proprietor, Rosa Kreger, sold it to employee Ed Lintott and his wife Martha. The Lintotts were forced to vacate in 2007 as repairs were desperately needed — some siding and part of the roof was replaced after the discovery of a leak.
The unexpected roof expense and “many other projects” at the nonprofit’s other properties — the Wagon Shop, Nathaniel Orr home and the museum itself at 1801 Rainier St. — occupied their reserves, said Bull. Not to mention the circa-2000 addition of accessible bathrooms, a refrigeration unit and a covered porch. They recently used a preservation grant to repair the heavy, original doors and paint.
The soda fountain project is being funded by a combination of grants, donations small and large from Steilacoom residents, and the Bair family, according to Bull.
“As soon as it looked like it was going to work, we got started,” she said.
The design process, which began in late 2023, was perhaps the most challenging detail. Bargreen Ellison assisted with finding fixtures that would fit that “old-but-new” aesthetic.
Reid, who is likely the longest-serving caretaker of The Bair since the Bairs, is eager for the reopening and the year ahead.
Details of the restored fountain’s reveal are to be determined, but she made one promise: “It will involve sodas!”
THE BAIR DRUG & HARDWARE
▪ 1617 Lafayette St., Steilacoom, 253-588-9668, thebairbistro.com
▪ Details: closed Jan.6-Feb. 3 (estimated) for vintage soda fountain restoration; follow facebook.com/TheBairBistro for updates
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 2:33 PM.