Hillyard Library preserved, converted to neighborhood bar and barber shop

The historic Hillyard Branch Library is taking on new life as a neighborhood watering hole.

The small former library building at Haven Street and Olympic Avenue has been preserved and converted into a sports bar with a barbershop.

Known simply as the Hillyard Library, the new establishment has been drawing in residents who want to see how the former library is being used today.

Two longtime friends from Rogers High School made a trip to the bar last month.

“We heard about a new sports bar in Hillyard, so we had to check it out,” said Frank McMichael over an afternoon beer with Dirk Irvin.

So far, business has been good, owner Dwayne Alexander said.

“I want it to be unique, but to be something to bring people into Hillyard,” Alexander said.

The idea that you can have a beer while getting a haircut is appealing to customers, he said.

At least three book clubs are planning to have meetings there, Alexander said. The bar has even had a couple of visits from former librarians, he said.

Trivia is played on Wednesday evenings.

A large indoor golf system is squeezed into one corner of the building, which has 2,060 square feet of space.

The layout includes a small overhead balcony.

Alexander said he wants an active hangout, not a place where people come just to sit and drink.

He has been getting good crowds on weekend evenings. “I am surprised how well the business is doing,” Alexander said.

One of the attractions is a patio space in back, along with a small putting layout.

The bar has 11 rotating beer taps and a full-service selection of liquors. A shelf of old books is lined up below the taps.

Food items include nachos and tacos.

The bar closes at 10 p.m.

Alexander purchased the former library a year ago for $75,000 under his Hillyard Investment Group LLC.

It is one of nearly a dozen properties that Alexander has purchased, including the former Masonic Temple on Market Street, which he hopes to convert into an event center for weddings and other occasions.

Alexander is banking on the revival of the Hillyard business area. The branch library was approved for the Spokane Register of Historic Places by the City Council in July. Alexander prepared his own nomination for the building.

The Hillyard Library operated as a Spokane city branch until 1983, when it was sold to the Church of the Resurrection. Alexander purchased the building from the church.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm of Whitehouse and Price, the building at 2936 E. Olympic Ave. retains nearly all of its original character.

Done in an Italian Renaissance style, the building features tan brick walls with a red, barrel tile roof, according to the nomination.

The main entry is embellished with a large stained glass window over the oak door. The glass and door are bordered by a large arch of terra cotta tiles with rosettes and other embellishments. The archway is flanked on both sides by large lantern lights. A large shield-like cartouche adorns the gable end over the arched entry.

On the inside, the building has a high, vaulted ceiling with wooden beams crossing the space horizontally at the top of the walls and reaching upward to the ceiling. The beams are hand-carved and hand-painted to match the stenciling along the upper border of the walls.

The west end of the building was remodeled with windows and doors for the barbershop, which is tucked beneath the balcony.

Alexander expanded a restroom to be handicapped accessible. He also replaced the hardwood floor.

New concrete sidewalks, landscaping and a handicapped-accessible ramp were installed to comply with city codes.

Hillyard neighborhood leader David Griswold said he is glad to have new business thriving in Hillyard.

“This is going to be a fun place,” he said.