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Port Townsend
Where the Past is very
much Present
by Jerome Richard
In 1792, British explorer George
Vancouver sailed his ship around the northeastern corner of Washington State's
Olympic Peninsula and saw a bay that he pronounced "a safe and capacious
harbor." He named it Port Townshend after an English marquis. That was
pretty much all that happened there until 1851 when two American pioneers
settled there.
Today, the population is about 6,000, and
some of those homes are among the most splendid B&Bs you will ever see. Town boosters counted on a railroad
connection to Portland, Oregon. They began laying track and in 1889 the Union
Pacific announced plans to complete the route. That inflated a bubble of land
speculation. Fortunes were made and mansions built. Several European countries
opened consulates in the bustling town. Port Townsend faced the future with
enthusiasm. But the future turned its back. The Union Pacific changed its plans.
Rumors of a Portland connection continued, but the depression in 1893 burst the
bubble and Port Townsend, like a jilted bride, remained in a state of shock
that only its rediscovery in the late 1960s could change. Even without a railroad, the location was
still strategic, so in 1902 Fort Worden was established on a finger of land
called Point Wilson. It was one of three forts designed to protect Puget Sound.
The army became both an economic and cultural influence in the town, especially
during the two world wars when the fort's population increased dramatically. In
1953, however, Fort Worden was decommissioned and in 1973 it became an unusual
state park. Lodging is available in the old
dormitories, the Victorian style officers quarters, or the campgrounds. Meals
are served cafeteria style and recreation includes tennis, outdoor playing
fields (bring your own equipment), and a boat launch. (For information, write:
Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368; or call
206-385-4730.) Centrum, a non-profit center for the
arts, is headquartered at Fort Worden where it presents a year-round series of
events that include a writers' conference, music festivals ranging from chamber
music to fiddle tunes, a film conference, and much more. (For information,
write: Centrum, P.O. Box 1158, Port Townsend, WA 98368; or call: 206-385-3102.) In the 1960s and early '70s, Port
Townsend was rediscovered by people looking for an alternative to mainstream
America. Relative isolation, charm, beautiful scenery, and cheap rents were all
part of the attraction. As far apart in their culture as Hippies and Victorians
were, you can see in any stroll around town how they shared a taste for
exuberant shapes and colors. The main difference is that where the American
Victorians dreamed big, the Hippies yearned for small. That spirit continues.
Recently, the citizens of Port Townsend repelled the advances of a large chain
drugstore that wanted to locate there. Today, Port Townsend is a National
Historic Landmark with more than 70 buildings on the National Registry of
Historic Buildings. Many are the grand homes built in Port Townsend's short
period of prosperity.
Inside, the tower ceiling is painted with
a fresco alternating four scantily clad "Seasons" with four
"Virtues." On the first day of each season, the sun shining through one of the dormer windows
and on to the ruby red glass of the dome points to the appropriate
season. A free-hung spiral staircase leading to the dome is the only known such
construction in America. Less spectacular but more imposing is
Manresa Castle, built by Charles Eisenbeis to resemble a castle on the Rhine
for his homesick wife. The 30-room mansion is on a hill just outside the
downtown area and commands a striking view of town and harbor. In 1925 it was
acquired by the Society of Jesus which named it after the Spanish birthplace of
the Society's founder. Now it is a fine small hotel with modern conveniences
and Victorian comfort.
You can see most of these (Starrett charges
non-guests for a tour) and other notable homes in a day's walk around town.
Organized tours take place in May and September at which time many private
homes are also open to the public. It's not just extravagant homes that
caused architect Victor Steinbrueck to exclaim: "The town is a
museum." Several office buildings and a couple of hotels in the downtown
district reflect the period of wild optimism. Some buildings in fact illustrate
both the optimism and its aftermath as they remain unfinished. The most imposing building is the
Jefferson County Courthouse, opened in 1892. The brick fortress-like building
features a clock tower that is still a landmark for mariners. There is also an
excellent historical museum, a couple of lively taverns, a restored 1920s movie
theater, and a drama company. On a stroll through Port Townsend, the
scene constantly shifts between the 1890s, the 1960s, and the present. Often
all three appear in a single glance, a kaleidoscope of time. Port Townsend, in the shadow of the
Olympic Mountains, gets less rain than Seattle, and there are few extremes of weather, so any time
is a good time to visit. January is the slowest month, but the month-long Victorian Christmas
celebration is popular. The town is also excellently located to
begin or end a trip around the Olympic Peninsula. Port Townsend is about 2 hours from
Seattle by car and ferry. Ferries leave from downtown Seattle, Edmonds, and
Keystone on Whidbey Island. The
Keystone ferry takes you directly into town. You can pick up ferry schedules at
many places in Seattle, or call (206) 464-6400 for recorded information. The Chamber of Commerce has a free Guide
to Port Townsend. Call them at (360) 385-2722, or write to: Visitor's Center,
2722 Sims Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Port Townsend is included in the AAA
Tour Book for Oregon and Washington. Website: www.ptguide.com
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A hundred years later, Port
Townsend (the "h" got lost) seemed poised to fulfill the dreams
of its early settlers who considered its location at the entrance to Puget Sound as an ideal crossroads between ocean and
land transportation. It was going to be "The New
York of the west." In 1890 the
population was about 7,000 and
expected to triple. There were six banks, ten
hotels, and several of the most
magnificent homes on the west coast.
The grandest of these is the Ann Starrett
Mansion, described by architecture historian Allen T. Denison as "...truly
remarkable...not only of local but national significance." A 4-story
octagonal tower is embraced by two wings with steeply pitched roofs. The whole
is busy with cornices and windows in the late Victorian style sometimes called
"Carpenter Gothic."
In addition to the Starrett House, other
1890-era mansions that are now B&Bs include the Hastings House (also called
Old Consulate Inn because it was briefly the office of the German consul who
boarded there), the James House which overlooks the bay and was the first
B&B in the Northwest, and Lizzie's which is less ornate than the others and
farther away from the business district but which still provides the kind of
opulent interior that announced to the world of the 19th century that someone
had made it.