My Stupidly Impassioned Speech:
Here’s the start of my stupidly impassioned speech (I usually avoid writing these, but this hit me hard):
I moved to Raleigh at the end of 2003. The Sawmill Taproom was my tavern because it was within walking distance from the house on a small court where I rented a room for the first couple years that I lived here. I went to Sawmill at least weekly and got to know some of the regulars and bartenders. I understood that the bartenders had names behind the bar to remember all the regulars, and I was known as, “Red.”
I befriended an old regular, Ed, who spent his spare time drinking at Sawmill, and we went hiking together and hung out several times. I found out one night that Ed died in his apartment and wasn’t found for a couple of days. One of the other customers knew to look for him because he didn’t show up for a regular drinking night, and the regulars told me all about it. I was heartbroken.
When my friend Lana moved to Raleigh from San Francisco, I met her for beers at the Sawmill several times. I also used it as a meeting place to meet up with friends, boyfriends, you name it. Everyone met up at the bar at Sawmill Taproom.
I eventually moved out of the room in the house, and bought my place, a townhouse, right before I turned 30. It was within walking distance of the Sawmill Taproom, and I still went there often, but not nearly as much because Raleigh was growing, and I usually ventured to different places downtown.
When I started dating Joe, he met me at Sawmill a few times. Once I met Lana at the Sawmill for a few beers, and Joe came up on his motorcycle to meet us. Lana was like, “I’m so glad to see you happy. Seeing that you met Joe gives me hope that I’ll meet someone someday too.” Then she died unexpectedly a few years later.
In 2014, I moved to Southeast Raleigh when I got together with Joe, and due to location, the Overtime Sports Pub replaced Sawmill as my local watering hole. However, Sawmill Taproom is still in my heart as my first Raleigh pub.
I have been sad when restaurants like Tir Na Nog and others closed in Raleigh, but I always said I’d be saddest when if Sawmill closed. “At least we still have the Sawmill,” I’d say. I don’t go there much anymore, mostly because I don’t live over there now, but it was my bar for many years.
I hope they can reopen and keep the tradition going.
