like the Fashion Show, High Tea, Building Tours and the Grand Ball. We have reviews of the best places to see in Port Townsend. Walk or cycle the newly established Chetzemoka Trail, beginning at Chetzemoka Park and connecting many points of tribal, geographic and historic interest spanning 3-mile and 6-mile loops on a 12-mile route around the city and through Fort Worden. Pick up a passport for admission to this museum, the Rothschild House and the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. The Port Townsend Paper Mill – Past, Present, and Future . The port district includes all of Jefferson County and continues to operate as a municipal corporation under Title 53 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). History of Port Townsend Foundry. Check out the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) Research Center, 13692 Highway 19 (Airport Cutoff Road), 360.385.9495, www.wajcgs.org/research-center/, where the JCGS library and collections are housed as well as archives and vast collections of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. Port Townsend was originally named “Port Townshend” by Captain George Vancouver in honor of his friend the Marquis of Townshend in 1792. Sophia Elan will show how to mix festive cocktails, and Heron Scott will build gingerbread Rothschild Houses. Each June, experience the Pacific Northwest’s immersive Steampunk Festival set in Port Townsend. One of America's Top 10 Small Towns (Actually No. Learn about Port Townsend’s fascinating history by visiting our museums, taking a self-guided walking or driving tour with our map of historic buildings and following the newly established Chetzemoka Trail. PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Historical Society will host “Holiday History Happy Hour” at 5 p.m. Friday. History. But a closer look reveals a hidden history. The Port Townsend Paper mill has been in continuous operation for over 85 years. by Thomas Warner Camfield and B/w Illustrations | Jan 1, 2000. Located on the waterfront in downtown Port Townsend, Washington, it manufactured street cars, steam engines, and hardware for all of the local Victorian mansions. The čičməhán Trail (Cheech-ma-han) Trail is comprised of 18 sites throughout the city of Port Townsend, Washington, that naturally divide into 3-mile, 6-mile, or 12-mile loops. 5.0 out of 5 stars 2. The bay was originally named "Port Townshend" by Captain George Vancouver in 1792, for his friend the Marquis of Townshend. Be sure to watch the award-winning “We Came with Dreams” video! The official settlement of the city took place on the 24th of April 1851. O'Rear. We are proud of our extensive history and hope to continue growing with our community for many years to come. He was the first farmer in the area to grow hops. Ernest Studerus, a well-known citizen at the time, served as brewmaster. This was a safe harbor and an ideal place to build businesses that involved shipping or receiving goods. Curbside Services Here you’ll learn about the history of Fort Worden, discover why the batteries were built and the coast artillery’s harbor defense of Puget Sound. History of Port Townsend. https://www.brassscrew.org/, Join the Brass Screw Confederacy! A separate shopping district was developed uptown, along with lovely churches, schools, hospitals and parks. 250 Madison Street, Suite 2, Port Townsend, WA 98368. After traveling extensively around the world and engaging in several business enterprises, he settled in Port Townsend in 1858 and began a business under the name of "Kentucky Store." Late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings provide a unique glimpse into the life of a senior Army officer and his family during the first decade of the 20th century. The original Port Townsend Brewing Company was one of the largest and longest operating breweries of its time. www.tribalmuseum.jamestowntribe.org/hsg/chetzemoka_trail.php. Many shipmasters made Port Townsend their home port and the movements of their vessels were followed with great interest. Port Townsend Weather Forecasts. The Port Townsend Aero Museum is a non-profit organization that is publicly owned and supported by our local community. The free program will stream live on Zoom. Port Townsend: An Illustrated History of Shanghaiing, Shipwrecks, Soiled Doves and Sundry Souls. At a time when the transportation of nearly all people and goods in the Pacific Northwest depended upon sea travel, Port Townsend was the hub. Located at 2409 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend. 6), according to Forbes Magazine. Although Port Townsend is known as a Victorian seaport, with two National Historic Landmark Districts, its historic roots date back centuries before when the S’Klallam tribe called the area home. Every vessel entering Puget Sound from any foreign port had to make its first stop at Port Townsend. iMap is a trip planner right at your fingertips. Port Townsend's Decline But when the Northern Pacific Railroad did not connect the budding city to the city of Tacoma in the 1890s, the area's population began to decline sharply. A weeked of Victoriana mixed with science, invention, and a great deal of fun. The Puget Sound Customs Collection District was moved to Port Townsend in 1854, just three years after the town was founded. This year’s event has been postponed until October 29-31, 2021. Library Grab Bag. In 1878, when Port Townsend became the first incorporated city in Jefferson County, its citizens elected Eisenbeis as the first mayor. Port Townsend History Port Townsend's history extends long before settlers would come to call this area Port Townsend Bay. Each June, experience the Pacific Northwest’s immersive Steampunk Festival set in Port Townsend. Although Port Townsend is known as a Victorian seaport, with two National Historic Landmark Districts, its historic roots date back centuries before when the S’Klallam tribe called the area home. It was immediately recognized as a good safe harbor, although strong south winds and poor holding ground often make small-craft anchorage problematic off the town's waterfront. At its height in 1889, the company employed around 250 people. Explore the Jefferson Museum of Art & History, 540 Water Street, 360.385.1003, www.jchsmuseum.org, located in the 1892 historic City Hall where you’ll learn about the town’s history. After the turn of the century, Port Townsend regained some momentum with the opening of Fort Worden as a military outpost. Many ship captains also built beautiful homes uptown, thus contributing to the gentrification of the community. Twisted History Tours began operating in Port Townsend in 2012 as a pedal taxi. The Port of Port Townsend Serving all of Jefferson County, the Port of Port Townsend is your destination of choice for world-class marine trades, recreation, & economic opportunity. When Port Townsend (originally "Townshend") Bay was named in 1792 by British Captain George Vancouver (1757-1798), the area around today's Port Townsend was occupied primarily by members of the Klallam (or S'Klallam) Tribe, who called the spot Kah Tai. The Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum, located on the parade grounds at Fort Worden, was built in 1904 overlooking Admiralty Inlet. The Palace Hotel. Zillow has 3 homes for sale in Port Townsend WA matching Historic Port Townsend. Join the Brass Screw Confederacy! Port Townsend History. (360) 379-5048, Address: In the heart of historic Port Townsend, where Victorian buildings stand stately along Water Street, there is one such building with its own colorful past. Built in 1856, Fort Townsend operated as a U.S. Army site on and off until a fire destroyed its barracks in 1895. Like many young communities in the Puget Sound, Port Townsend aspired to greatness. Shelly Leavens and … The Coast Artillery Museum, 200 Battery Way, 360.385.0373, www.coastartillery.org, is across the parade grounds at Fort Worden and located in one of the original 1904 Barracks. Geographically isolated at the tip of the Quimper Peninsula on the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is surrounded on three sides by bodies of water. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (hours of operation vary seasonally), 532 Battery Way, Fort Worden, 360.385.5582, www.ptmsc.org, is dedicated to inspiring conservation of the Salish Sea (Puget Sound) and operates an aquarium with touch tanks as well as an interactive museum with natural history information. The Port of Port Townsend was established under the Washington State laws of 1911 by election on November 4, 1924. https://www.brassscrew.org/, Day One – Tour Coast Artillery Museum + lunch at Reveille or Taps at the Guardhouse + hike the trails around Fort Worden, exploring the batteries and bunkers, Day Two – Visit the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum + a summer lunch at the Cablehouse Canteen on the beach + tour the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Day One – Visit the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History + have lunch at Sirens Pub on the waterfront + go on a self-guided walking tour of the historic districts, ending at the Rothschild House, Day Two – Pick up items for a picnic at Aldrich’s Market, 940 Lawrence Street, 360.385.0500, www.aldrichs.com, follow the Chetzemoka Trail + have a picnic lunch at Chetzemoka Park + check out the totem pole and cedar canoe at the Northwest Maritime Center. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. Paperback City of Dreams: A Guide to Port Townsend Washington. At the beginning of each month, we send an email of Port Townsend's "Don't Miss" events. Learn about the beautiful Victorian architecture of Port Townsend and enjoy favorites like the Fashion Show, High Tea, Building Tours and the Grand Ball. The small camping park south of Port Townsend is unique among Washington's coastal forts because it has all but returned to nature. Learn about Port Townsend’s fascinating history by visiting our museums, taking a self-guided walking or driving tour with our map of historic buildings and following the newly established Chetzemoka Trail. The Rothschild House (summer only), on the corner of Franklin and Taylor Streets, was built in 1868 and is virtually unchanged from over a hundred years ago. For more history about Port Townsend visit Jefferson County Historical Society, *Photos below provided by Jefferson County Historical Society -  JCHS Photo Collection, Click any thumbnail image to view a slideshow, Heidi GreenwoodCity Attorney Fort Worden Historical State Park is located in Port Townsend, Washington, on 433 acres (175 ha) originally known as Fort Worden, a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps base constructed to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. All of our other interpretive sites, including the Research Center and Historic Houses are also closed to the public until further notice. The orchestra was composed of 46 performers being directed by Michael-Ann … Port Townsend was known as the "City of Dreams" because of the early speculation that the city would be the largest harbor on the west coast. iMap is a fun and interactive way to plan your future dream vacation in Jefferson County. Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weatherreports, maps & tropical weather conditions for the Port Townsend area. In 1851 the first permanent non-Native settlers on S'Klallam land came ashore at Port Townsend on the Quimper Peninsula, an appendage at the northeastern corner of the Olympic Peninsula that is separated from the main peninsula by Discovery Bay. Once a gritty, hard-drinking town where you were just as likely to be shanghaied as not, to what is now one of the nicest small towns in Washington, Port Townsend was important to the development of the … By the early 1880s, this small outpost was on the verge of becoming a great city. Port Townsend restaurants soldiered on, serving workers at the artillery fortifications developed at Fort Worden, and a paper mill opened on the edge of town in the 1920s. Thanks to City of Port Townsend Tourism! View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. Finish up with a visit to the JCGS Research Center in the afternoon. Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 250 Madison Street Port Townsend  WA 98368   Phone (360) 385-3000, COVID-19: Offices & Facilities Closed to the Public with Limited Services (Updated 11/16/2020), Security Training Exercise Scheduled at Indian Island on January 14, 2021, From NAS Whidbey Island - Field Carrier Landing Practice Schedule at the NAS Whidbey Island Complex for Week of Jan. 11-17, 2021. Each March, Port Townsend’s Victorian Festival embraces new events, old favorites, and even more opportunities to experience a way of life that was. A weekend of Victoriana mixed with science, invention, and a great deal of fun. In the days of sailing ships, Port Townsend's strategic location at the entrance to Puget Sound provided an edge over other contenders further into the placid waters of Puget Sound. It opened in 1902 … Mr. Bishop established a cheese and dairy business and sold his produce in Port Townsend, making the day-long trip by horse and wagon. Posted: Agenda and Meeting Materials for Jan. 13 Public Workshop & Meeting Drop in for maps, brochures, ferry reservations, customized itineraries and great Information from our local experts. In keeping with his status in the community, Eisenbeis built what was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend, consisting of 30 rooms. Maritime-related enterprises fueled a flourishing economy, providing ready wealth and shaping the character of this ambitious town. The first concert of the Port Townsend Community Orchestra was during the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival on May 14, 1987, at the Fort Worden Theater. Hours: by Peter Simpson | Jul 1, 1986. The map links to local businesses and activities in the area, features an easy to use itinerary planner which is sharable on social media, it has a calendar of local events when safe & healthy events can once again be scheduled, and showcases popular trail maps. Geographically isolated at the tip of the Quimper Peninsula on the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is surrounded on three sides by bodies of water. Things to Do in Port Townsend, Washington: See Tripadvisor's 5,463 traveler reviews and photos of Port Townsend tourist attractions. Visit the Port Townsend Aero Museum, 105 Airport Road, 360.379.5244, www.ptaeromuseum.com, and see over 30 rare and antique aircraft specimens are available for public viewing and more than 60% are regularly flown. In the days of sailing ships, Port Townsend's strategic location at the entrance to Puget Sound provided an edge over other contenders further into the placid waters of Puget Sound. The original Port Townsend Foundry was established in 1883. In 1889, Mr. Bishop retired to Port Townsend, where he became a leading Port Townsend builder, including the erection of the Bishop Block building. Plan your trip and start exploring what Jefferson County has to offer! The Jefferson Museum of Art & History is closed until further notice for COVID-19 public safety, per the Governor of the State of Washington. Our support comes in many forms – money, services, vehicles, and of course the many hundreds of hours of time that our volunteers give freely every year. It was soon changed to the Rothschild and Co. Mercantile, selling varied merchandise. Be Open to the World of the Unknown at HAUNTED HISTORIES & MYSTERIES OF PORT TOWNSEND. It was capitalized at $25,000 and established September 5, 1905 by George Watkins, Michael Hartman and N.W. Calling itself the “Key City” and the “New York of the West,” Port Townsend quickly became a bustling seaport and customs gateway to the Pacific Northwest, with an impressive waterfront commercial district of stone and brick buildings and many elegant Victorian homes on the bluff above. Our colorful town has many tales to tell—of shipwrecks, shanghaiing, lost loves, unexplained events and a haunted past that is felt even today. The Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend, WA was founded in 1851. Take a look at our timeline to learn more about where we’ve been and where we’re headed. 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