ANNISTON, Ala. — The Peerless Saloon and Grille, located at 15 W. 10th Street in Anniston, confirmed this week that it has been in continuous operation since 1899, making it the oldest bar in Alabama. The bar noted it has no announcements at this time.

The establishment's mahogany bar — its most prominent fixture — was purchased at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and transported to Anniston the following year. It arrived in 1905 on the same rail line that carried the Vulcan statue to Birmingham, a fact noted in historical records that the bar itself has not emphasized in any recent marketing materials.

The bar is open. This has been the case since 1899.

A regular patron, reached at the bar Thursday evening, said he had been drinking there for thirty-one years. When asked what kept him coming back, he considered the question at some length before indicating that the question had not previously occurred to him.

"It's just the bar," he said.

The building at 15 W. 10th Street has a notable operational history. Historical records indicate the second floor of the establishment served functions during the early part of the twentieth century that differed significantly from those of the ground floor. The upper-floor operation concluded abruptly in approximately 1919 under circumstances this reporter has characterized as significant but has been asked by the bar's ownership not to elaborate upon.

The Old Wildcat house blend whiskey has been available at the Peerless since its opening year. Current patrons describe it as a commitment.

The Peerless Saloon and Grille is open seven days a week. It is 127 years old. It has no announcements.