Northwest Magazines

Port Townsend Homes Tour:
Travel to a Simpler Place in Time on September 15, 16.

PORT TOWNSEND, WA-Turn off your cell phone, ditch your iPod and venture back over 100 years to a simpler place in time at the annual Victorian Port Townsend Homes Tour on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16.

Ten historic sites will be available on the self-guided tour, including three private homes, a Victorian hotel, a landmark commercial building, one of the city’s oldest homes—now a museum, a magnificent mansion, a charming church and its rectory, and one of Port Townsend’s oldest structures—Chapel Bay—which will host the complimentary teahouse.

Homes on tour are the Frank Bartlett House (1883), a Victorian architectural treasure whose 14 rooms have been restored to reflect the grandeur of its day; the Albert Bash house (1890), an impressive Queen Anne style that boasts an unusually fine collection of stained glass windows and which has been restored to its original elegance after years of neglect; and the James B. Hogg house (1891), a large home built just prior to Hogg’s wedding to Lucy McIntyre, an event that brought out “the brightest and best in Port Townsend’s society,” according to the local newspaper.

A British sailor who jumped ship in Victoria to homestead in Port Townsend built the Bishop Block (1890), a three-story structure that has been home to many interesting businesses, including a cigar store and a tavern. Now, it is the elegant Bishop Victorian Hotel and gardens, restored to reflect the Victorian period, with period furniture and glass.

The commercial building on tour is the cornerstone of downtown, the four-story Mount Baker Block (1889). It was intended to be a 96 room five-story hotel but was reduced to its present size when word came that the hoped-for railroad terminus would not come to Port Townsend. The top two floors were left unfinished for 110 years, but are now completed in the style of the period.

Featured on this year’s tour is the magnificent and nationally-prominent Ann Starrett Mansion (1889), renowned for its frescoed ceilings and a mysterious three-tier, free-floating staircase leading to a rare solar calendar that is lit by the sun four times a year. A scantily clad winter nymph depicted in the fresco caused much gossip in Victorian Port Townsend.

Saint Paul’s (1865), the oldest Episcopal church in Washington, is an example of Gothic Revival style. Situated on a bluff overlooking the harbor, it was later placed on logs and moved to its present location. The interior features Gothic arches with curved side members that give the appearance of the ship’s frame. Unlike much of Victorian architecture, the church is nearly devoid of ornament and relies instead on vertical proportions for its effectiveness. The adjacent Fenn House (1889), the church’s former rectory that housed rectors and vicars for nearly 100 years, retains much of the original wood moldings, sashes and floors along with the original stained glass window in the hallway.

As a trip back in time, the Rothschild House can’t be topped. One of the city’s oldest homes, it is also a museum that accurately reflects Port Townsend culture nearly 150 years ago. An excellent example of Greek revival, the home embraces original furnishings and artifacts of the Rothschild family, down to the most common objects. The children’s room looks like the children are outside playing; the parlor waits for visitors; and the dining table is set with the family’s best plates. A special, surprise, exhibit will be featured at this year’s tour.

Complimentary tea and homemade cookies will be served by docents in period costume at one of Port Townsend’s oldest structures—the Chapel Bay (1860s). Barged from Bellingham in the 1800s to serve as St. Paul’s parish hall, it was rescued and moved to its present location in the late 1990s. It is now a Victorian wedding chapel and links Port Townsend’s past and present.

Maps and detailed descriptions of the buildings are provided for the self-guided tour, and knowledgeable docents are present at each site to answer questions and point out interesting features.

Sponsored by the Jefferson Healthcare Auxiliary, advance tickets for the tour are $13 for adults, $7 for children under 12. Day of show tickets are $16 and $8, respectively. For more information, go to www.ptguide.com/homestour, or contact Port Townsend Visitor’s Center at 360-385-2722, email visitorinfo@enjoypt.com.

Once you’ve finished your trip back in time, and you turn on your cell phone, listen to your tunes on your iPod, you might wonder—were the old days really more simple? You be the judge.