Bastions Tavern opens in downtown Houlton

HOULTON, Maine — Those looking for a place to grab a quick bite to eat or a drink in downtown Houlton now have a new tavern to consider.

Bastions Tavern, owned by James and Emily Harvey, quietly opened on Sept. 5, and word has quickly spread throughout the community. A grand opening is planned for Oct. 18.

The idea for opening a sports bar/tavern has been in James Harvey’s head for about the past two years. He spent much of that time researching the concept and searching for just the right location to open his business.

In January 2019, Harvey came across the Rice Building, an historic, stately structure at the corner of Market Square and Court Street, and knew that he had found the perfect spot.

Owned by Travis and Kim Coker, the Rice Building has slowly been going through a renovation period.  The Cokers live on the second floor, while the third floor once served as gathering place for the Houlton Masonic Lodge. The first floor, however, has been relatively neglected after a business plan fell through several years ago.

“When we saw this spot and met with the owners, we just knew this was the place,” Harvey said. “We wanted to be a sports bar-themed tavern. Our food is nothing but fresh ingredients, but our focus is being a tavern.”

The name for the establishment was a deliberate choice, according to Harvey, and was selected to honor those who are pillars of the community — teachers, firefighters, nurses, EMTs, law enforcement and more. They want the bar to be a gathering place for the community.

By definition, a bastion is “an institution, place, or person strongly defending or upholding particular principles, attitudes, or activities.”

“A bastion is similar to a pillar in the community,” he said. “That is the message we wanted to convey. We opened this place to give back to the community.”

All of the construction was completed either by Coker or someone under his supervision. Many of the original elements of the building were left, such as the tin ceiling and brick wall. Harvey said he has spoken to many people who recall the building from previous eras when it once served as Shiretown TV and Video and, many years before that, the Rod and Gun shop.

“We have had people of various ages come in and tell us they bought their first bicycle here (at Rod and Gun) or bought a television. You can see the older people flashing back to that era, which was really cool,” said Harvey.

He added he would like to acquire a collection of photographs from the various businesses that were located there before to pay tribute to that era.

The tavern boasts 10 large, 55-inch televisions broadcasting a variety of sporting events, including every NFL game on Sunday and college football on Saturdays. It has seating for up to 82 people, with plenty of room for more to mill around comfortably.

The tables come complete with purse hooks underneath and there are multiple outlets with USB ports for people to charge their mobile devices.

For now Bastions Tavern offers both hot and cold sandwiches, but Harvey said he hopes that will expand in the future. Its focus, however, is on the brews, and they currently have eight beers on tap, with many more available in bottles or cans. Harvey said his vision is to include more Maine microbrews, possibly featuring a different vendor each month. Seasonal brews will also be included.

“Our hope is that it sparks a growth in the community,” Harvey said. “We are trying to bring people back to the downtown.”

Staying open late at night was a must for Harvey, who said there were few options for places to go and grab a quick bite to eat or drink in the Shiretown most evenings.

Bastions Tavern is open 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.