2005 Homes Tour

The architecture of this home partakes of elements borrowed from three concurrent sub-styles of Victorian architecture: the Bracket Villa style, the Queen Ann and the Stick style.

The home was built by Albert C. Adams and named after his father who was a descendent of the renowned Adams family of Revolutionary times. John Quincy Adams, who was called by the locals the "Old Veteran", served his country by voluntarily entering the Union Army when he was 47 years of age, well beyond the "necessary age of service."

The 1890 directory listed the father and son as capitalists, the local voters' registration listed John as a grocer. At the time of his death in 1896 John operated a confectionery store at the upper end of Water Street.

The home was built for $5,000.00 and was built for speculation rather than the actual occupation by the owner. The Adams home was one of the larger homes built for speculation. Albert owned extensive properties and was a real estate speculator and builder. Eventually Adams was stricken by the economic depression and he lost the house when the First National Bank foreclosed on the mortgage.

The home was later owned by Charles Edward Coons, the first Lieutenant Governor of Washington State and three-time Mayor of Port Townsend. Charles was born in New York in 1842 and died in Port Townsend in 1920.

The Victorian Tea House is your opportunity to pause during the tour for complimentary tea, coffee and cookies served by volunteers in period costume. Each year the Tea House has a new theme, always in keeping with Victoriana.

In addition to refreshments, there will be items for purchase such as cookbooks (including the popular cookie cookbook) signed homes tour posters (suitable for framing) and a sampling of items from our newly refurbished hospital gift shop. The Jefferson Healthcare Hospital Gift Shop is managed and staffed by members of the hospital auxiliary.

First time on the tour is this charming apartment displaying furnishings from the period of the 1800s. Dr. Gallus Rutz was a pharmacist who purchased the site in 1889. The two story wood framed building housed a pharmacy downstairs, and the Rutz family lived in the quarters upstairs.

By 1897, Dr. Rutz's son, Walter, had taken over the business and operated it in the same location until March of 1904. After purchasing Pfeiffer's Drug Store, he and his partner Billy Hill moved the store downtown. The store front remained empty for many years but Walter continued to live in the upstairs and to care for his mother until her death.

Helen Olberg Gunn purchased the site in 1965 and for many years operated the Jack and Jill Children's Clothing Store in the downstairs and Aunt Lillie's Gift Shop upstairs. In the 1990's, Ms. Gunn's daughter Helen took over the daily management until her mother's death in 1994 and then continued to operate the clothing store until 1995. The Wild Coho restaurant is now located downstairs, and the upstairs is an apartment. The Rutz Building is in original condition, with minor changes made internally over the years.

This Edwardian Era houseboat plied the waters of Puget Sound, transporting the original owner's family and friends on vacations of elegant style and comfort. It was built for Maurice McMicken, an attorney who was the legal counsel to the Washington State legislature. He was also the publisher of the Seattle Post Intelligencer newspaper, a sportsman and civic leader. The Lotus was designed to cruise the inside passage of the Pacific Northwest by naval architects Lee & Brinton and built in the Sloan yard of Seattle. The boat is 92 feel long and weighs 102 tons.

The interior of the Lotus is beautifully appointed and the main cabin features beautiful woodwork. The personal writing desk holds original china and crystal with the Lotus insignia. The current owners are painstakingly refurbishing the beautiful floating house and establishing The M/V Lotus Foundation to preserve its heritage.

N.C. Strong, the original owner of this house, was the manager of the Merchant Bank in Port Townsend. He was active in local politics and in 1895 was a member of the town's "committee of 50" an organization dedicated to rejuvenating Port Townsend after the railroad chose to terminate in Tacoma, rather than Port Townsend. The railroad terminus had been anticipated for years and would be for many years to come, but in the end would never materialize.

This handsome house was built by W.A. Kuehn for around two thousand dollars. The rear, upstairs portion of the house as well as the carriage house was added sometime between 1900 and 1911. Unlike some Port Townsend houses that were abandoned during the years of economic downturn; the Strong House has been occupied by various owners since its construction in 1898. Each of these owners has adapted this home to their needs and tastes, but the basic features and structure of this home remain intact. The stucco exterior was applied more than 85 years ago, but the home retains its original form. The Strong House has not been on a homes tour for many years.

This property was originally purchased by A. A. Plummer Jr. for the sum of $500.00 for two lots. The County Records show that in 1890 G.F. Foppiano bought the land for $1000.00. A land speculator from Bend Oregon, Foppiano owned many houses in Port Townsend. He built this house at 833 Taylor in 1891 for $125.00.

With its cheerful yellow exterior, this house is a fine example of a small turn of the century rental home that has been restored through the years very attractively with personal touches by each of the owners. The back deck leads down to a lovely secret garden.

William Schlager, a German immigrant, built this house in 1890 on Tyler Street (known then as Maple), and it was originally leased as a residence and millinery shop. William's son Ferdinand moved the house in 1907 to its present location by mounting it on logs and using horses to pull it down F Street. Once the house was in place, Ferdinand added two rooms on each floor at the front, reconfigured the stairway and added upper and lower porches. In 1909, The Port Townsend Leader called this home "one of the show places" in the city. It is one of only a few Colonial Revival-style houses in Port Townsend. The Schlager family for many years owned and operated Key City Greenhouses, and the greenhouses themselves were located on the lots behind the house. They pioneered the raising of holly for commercial purposes on the peninsula, and shipped thousands of pounds annually to all parts of the country.

George Sterming erected this building to house his waterfront saloon and restaurant. An experienced saloon keeper, his establishment was frequented by the various members of maritime trades who knew Sterming's saloon was the place to go for good food & drink.

The upper floor contained offices, some used by Whiteway & Schroeder, two of early Port Townsend's busiest architects.

Today the Belmont offers a fine restaurant on the main floor and 4 lovely hotel rooms on the upper lever, two with commanding water views and two overlooking picturesque Water Street.

Perched on a bluff overlooking Port Townsend and Admiralty Inlet, Chapel Bay is beginning the next chapter of its long history. This lovely old building was the original parish hall for St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Located behind St. Paul's since the 1890's, it has been said that this building was barged from Bellingham in the 1800's. When St. Paul's decided to build a new parish hall in the late 1990's, the old parish hall was rescued by the current owner, Penee D'Amico, and moved to its present location.

The building sits atop a daylight basement. The hall's interior has been refurbished with the original windows, and wainscoting. The open main floor has a small kitchen and bath. The Chapel is one of the oldest buildings in Port Townsend. From its first days as a church, to its new role as a Victorian wedding chapel and event center, this charming building links Port Townsend's past and the present.