The new owner of the Papermill Creek Saloon is a retired firefighter who doesn’t have deep pockets—but he does have determination. He needed every ounce of it as he labored to bring the storied Forest Knolls dive bar back to life.
Finally, after nearly a year jumping through regulatory hoops, Bryan Hendon is on the brink of reopening the bar, whose guests have included musical luminaries such as Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia, both of whom once lived nearby.
Mr. Hendon hopes to have the beer flowing by New Year’s Eve. Live music will return soon after, and a grand reopening bash is being planned for January or February.
Loni Ward, a senior county health inspector, gave her seal of approval last Thursday—the last green light Mr. Hendon needed from the county. On her way out the door, she inaugurated the new leatherbound guest book. “Best of luck on a full house!” she wrote.
First, she had checked to make sure the water was hot enough—120 degrees—to kill bacteria on the dishes. Then she checked whether the fridge was cold enough—no more than 41 degrees—to keep food safe. Had new floor tiles been installed behind the bar? Check. Was the bathroom refinished? Check.
Most importantly, the septic system was brand new, passing muster despite its proximity to sensitive salmon spawning grounds. (The rear of the building is so close to San Geronimo Creek that you can see coho swim by—and river otters munching on them when they get the chance.)
“There was some question as to whether we could even open this business again at all,” Mr. Hendon said. “I went to the planning division and got three completely different answers from three different planners as to whether something like this could continue to exist.”
At times, he wondered if it would.
“The entire experience was pretty daunting,” he said. “Every day I woke up and I just said, ‘I have to keep pushing forward and the day will finally come.”
Though it now meets modern standards, Papermill’s atmosphere remains intact. The wood floors, installed in 1907, are as worn and scruffy as ever, sloping downward several inches to the back of the room, where the pool tables used to be.
Much of the old decor is still there, including buck and boar heads and a trademark painting of a gloriously naked Pandora, seated on a bed trimmed in red and gazing downward into a box from which a host of tiny humans, also unburdened by clothing, float up into the world to meet their uncertain fate.
The bar has a brighter sheen, after Mr. Hendon stripped and resealed it three times to prevent bacteria from taking up residence. Yet the old blemishes remain visible beneath the epoxy, including a long groove said to have been made by a rowdy customer wielding a chainsaw. The bullet hole—supposedly put there by an inebriated Janis Joplin—remains visible in front of a stool near the Castro Street entrance.
Is that an apocryphal tale? “I’m willing to go with it,” said Jared Litwin, the manager and chief bartender who worked at the saloon for nearly 25 years before it closed and who played a critical role in turning it into a musical destination.
Much to Mr. Hendon’s relief, Mr. Litwin will soon be back where he belongs: behind the bar.
“This guy made this place what it is,” said Mr. Hendon, who has no experience running a bar and barely drinks at all. “I’m just the guy who was brave enough to take out a loan.”
Mr. Hendon lives in San Anselmo but is familiar with the valley. His son learned to swim at the Woodacre Improvement Club, and Mr. Hendon coached his West Marin Little League teams. He’s fond of old buildings with a story to tell, and he’s played drums in bands all his life—not to mention sung opera and performed musical theater.
Before retiring in 2017, he worked as a fireman and paramedic, mostly in San Francisco. Now a single dad of an Archie Williams student, he has his son’s name—Greyson—tattooed on his left forearm. It means exactly what it says: son of a man with grey hair. Mr. Hendon’s hair went completely grey in his 20s.
“My primary objective is to be a part of this community and return this jewel to the people that live here and get to know a lot of people along the way,” he said. “I’m 63 years old, in the final chapter of my life, and I just want to have some fun on the way out.”
The saloon’s regulars are grateful.
“The Papermill was like my living room,” said Darren Nelson, one of the first musicians to play regularly at the saloon. “I love playing music and being amongst friends. The vibe at the Papermill was always better than most places. We’re happy people—jolly valley people.”
Before Mr. Hendon bought it, the saloon was run by the Wilson family for 54 years under the leadership of its matriarch, Thomasina Wilson, a mother of 14. The family transformed it from a seedy hub for Hells Angels into a bustling music venue.
Rebecca Moore, the daughter who served as the bar’s bookkeeper for 15 years, is relieved the family has found a new owner after overcoming a few glitches with the sale.
“Bryan is going to bring a lot of good energy into that place,” she said. “He’s very excited to bring music back and has great plans to make it better than it’s ever been. It’s kind of bittersweet letting it go, but we’re ready to have somebody else come and start anew.”