The Tavern, located a the corner of North Lamar Boulevard and West 12th Street, celebrates 110 years in Austin after first opening in the Texas capital back in 1916.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
For 110 years, a rustic tavern at the corner of North Lamar Boulevard and West 12th Street has served as a neighborhood watering hole, unifying University of Texas at Austin students, sports enthusiasts, Clarksville residents and others alike.
It has served as both a sense of respite and nostalgia for generations of Austinites — including two storied business owners who now oversee The Tavern as part of an ongoing effort to preserve pockets of “Old Austin.”
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The preservation effort for Old Austin businesses (and the ghosts that haunt them)
Shannon Sedwick and Michael Shelton, a married couple who also founded and co-own Esther’s Follies, took over The Tavern for the second time back in 2018. Their love for the venue traces back decades, to their inaugural purchase of the bar in the 1980s.
The bar was at a very different stage of life at the time of purchase. After the prior tenant failed to settle a series of unpaid comptroller’s fees, the Comptroller’s Office had taken over the building, auctioning off the aged, carved wooden tables and various furniture and items, Sedwick said. It was a literal labor of love, retrieving those items and opening the second level to the public so it could return to The Tavern’s original intent: a place for cold beer, crisp air conditioning and community conversations.
“The Tavern was something that we all knew from our childhood,” Sedwick said. “It had a lot of really good vibes, and we’ve always, Michael and I, have always wanted to refurbish and bring back some of the old places in Austin.”
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Shannon Sedwick (pictured) and Michael Shelton, a married couple as well as co-owners and founders of Esther’s Follies, have owned The Tavern continuously since 2018 following an initial ownership stint in the 1980s.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
The Tavern, located a the corner of North Lamar Boulevard and West 12th Street, celebrates 110 years in Austin after first opening in the Texas capital back in 1916.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
That old place in Austin also includes some spiritual friends. Austin history buffs and bar regulars alike are likely familiar with the story of Emily, a “lady of the night” who worked in the upper levels of The Tavern. The legend goes that Emily had a daughter, and the two were both killed by a male patron.
All three spirits are said to linger in the bar’s foundation, with believers attributing a friendly ambiance to Emily. A dated pair of shoes found at The Tavern has been tied back to Emily and now sits on display as a bit of a memorial and tribute to the bar’s friendly ghost.
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“Mostly her things have been feeling her around, making noises up there when you’re the only one in the building and there couldn’t be anybody upstairs. Just making herself felt,” Sedwick said.
Emily is a spirit said to linger in The Tavern in Austin. Legend has it she was a sex worker who, alongside her daughter, was killed at the bar, where her spirit now remains. Shoes traced back to her were found in the business and now sit on display.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
Historic photos adorn the walls of The Tavern, a rustic bar open in Austin since 1916.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
Amid issues with a business partner who wanted to change The Tavern’s menu and ambiance, Sedwick and Shelton ultimately walked away from the business. Approximately 30 years later, lightning struck twice, and the two once again had the chance to preserve The Tavern in the way they felt the business deserved.
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“Luckily, we stuck to our guns,” she said. “Now we’ve got it again.”
A second chance at an Old Austin revival
Shortly after the duo’s second purchase of the bar, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered business operations and threw many local institutions into a tailspin. As a legacy business, The Tavern received funding and several grants to help keep it afloat.
It’s not only the pandemic that has cornered Austin’s most storied institutions. As the city’s real estate valuations and costs of living have risen in recent years, some fellow Old Austin businesses have fallen by the wayside, now just memories in the fabric of the Capital City.
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The Tavern, located a the corner of North Lamar Boulevard and West 12th Street, celebrates 110 years in Austin after first opening in the Texas capital back in 1916.
Kelsey Thompson/MySA
That trend makes it all the more important, Sedwick stressed, to continue to stay true to The Tavern’s roots and make it feel like the inviting atmosphere that has invited countless Austinites to patronize it since 1916. Today, The Tavern is a hub for Kansas City Chiefs fans and Arsenal F.C. enthusiasts. The bar also continues to serve as a stomping ground for improv nights, magic shows and murder mystery dinners.
The focus, Sedwick added, has never been on competing with Austin’s newest businesses. Instead, it’s been on making subtle improvements that accentuate the quirks and charm that have given the Old Austin staple its enduring appeal.
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“It was a beautiful old space that had never really been totally made too new, so we could embrace all of the old qualities but add great qualities — mainly like big air conditioning and more space and kitchen equipment, things like that,” she said. “So we can keep the beautiful, old quality of it, and we try to also keep the sense of ‘this is your place. You are an Austin person; this is where you can feel comfortable. You can always come to The Tavern.'”