2006 Homes Tour

Grace House 1887

This beautiful home was built in 1887 by 26 year old James W. Stockand with the help of his brother-in-law Thomas Drummond, a Port Townsend contractor. The house and its carriage house were completed in 1890 at a cost of $3,400. Restoration of this house which included a new foundation and roof was completed in 1978. Further renovations in the late 1980's were recognized by the Jefferson County Historical Society and the owners received the Mary Johnson Award of Appreciation.

Over the past several years the current owners who moved into this house in 2001, have continued the careful restoration of the interior of this home. The house has a new roof, rebuilt chimneys, new wiring and plumbing and refinished wood floors as well as historically accurate hand-screened Victorian wallpapers by Bradbury & Bradbury.

Recently completed is a new downstairs bath with its antique dresser sink and a mosaic tile floor consisting of 6 colors and 4000 separate pieces of tile requiring more than 3000 separate cuts. The upstairs bathroom which was carved out of attic space in the early 1900's is now an elegant master bath with Jacuzzi tub, propane fireplace, original claw foot tub and angel tile wall mural. This house is a fine blend of Victorian charm and modern amenities.

Frank W. Hastings House c. 1890

Senator Frank Hastings was the second son of Port Townsend founder Loren B. Hastings. Frank began building this big red mansion in 1889. His plan was to build a $10,000 mansion to impress his fiancé, but he went broke in the depression of 1891 and was forced to abandon its construction before completion. He managed to get the house weather tight ‐ roof, walls, and windows – and to get three rooms livable with the last of his money. He lived in the unfinished house until he lost it for back taxes in 1904 to Mr. Olsen, the county tax assessor.

Mr. Olsen finished the house and rented a room to August Duddenhausen, the German Consul, from 1908 until 1911. Duddenhausen was allowed to do his official business in the parlor. The Hastings House is now a lovely Bed &Breakfast called The Old Consulate Inn. It is a fine example of Queen Anne style architecture and has commanding view of Port Townsend Bay, Mount Rainier and the Historic Court House.

Lincoln H. Pontius House 1889

This beautiful Victorian was built by Lincoln Pontius in 1889. He came from a family of Washington pioneers and was a real estate dealer in the early years of Port Townsend. The house has been tastefully updated but still retains its original tile and oak/cherry trimmed fireplaces. The stained glass panels in the living room are thought to have originally been above the double doors that once greeted visitors to this lovely home. The current owners have found the perfect setting for their fine collection of antiques.

The third story of the Pontius House was unfinished when the current owners purchased this house and they have made excellent use of this space as it is now a large bedroom/playroom. The grounds of the Pontius House include the old well-house and stable.

Commanding Officer's House at Fort Worden 1904

After the Puget Sound Naval Shipyards were established at Bremerton in 1895, the military saw the need for fortifications at Admiralty Inlet to protect the entrance to Puget Sound. Ft. Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island and Fort Worden were built in the early 1900's to provide that protection. Fort Worden was decommissioned in 1951, purchased by the state of Washington in 1957 and became a state park in 1973.

The Commanding Officer's House at Fort Worden was completed in April of 1904. Located at the head of Officers Row overlooking Admiralty Inlet, this almost 6000 square foot house was home to more than 30 commanding officers and their families. The house is now a museum and is decorated with furnishings and artifacts from the late Victorian early Edwardian eras. The home welcomes you with the dining room set for an elegant dinner party and upstairs there are toys scattered on the floor in the children's room.

Charles Eisenbeis' Manresa Castle 1892

Charles Eisenbeis emigrated from his native Prussia and arrived in Port Townsend in 1858. He saw a bright future for the town and his many business interests eventually included a cracker factory, lumber mill, brickworks, brewery, bank, and a hotel. He was part of the group of influential businessmen known as the "Big Five Syndicate" and in 1878 when Port Townsend became an incorporated city; he was elected its first Mayor. He built his home on the hill looking down on the city and fashioned it the style of the grand castles of his native Prussia.

It was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend and on the West Coast at the time and had 30 rooms. After Charles died in 1902 the castle was left empty for almost 20 years. For a while it was a vacation home for Seattle nuns then was purchased by the Jesuits in 1927. They added a large wing the next year to house sleeping rooms and chapel and covered the bricks of the original house with stucco to match the new addition. The Jesuits named it Manresa after the town in Spain where Ignatius Loyola founded their order.

It still retains its wonderful Victorian elegance. The Castle also features "the finest dining room" on the Olympic Peninsula according to Northwest Best Places and a beautiful Edwardian Lounge that was the original parlor room of the house. Also, the entire building is furnished in the original period antiques.

Rothschild House 1868

David Charles Henry Rothschild was born in Bavaria in 1824. He immigrated to the United States in 1843, landed in New York, and then traveled to Kentucky where he worked in his brother's store until word of the California Gold Rush reached the East Coast. Over the next thirteen years he was involved in activities related to the Gold Rush and travels abroad to the South Seas and Orient. Arriving in Port Townsend in 1858 he soon opened a mercantile business called "The Kentucky Store" in 1859. He married, and with his wife Dorette lived above the downtown store until he had the Rothschild House built in 1868. The Rothschilds were the only people to live in this West coast "Greek Revival" architectural style house through 1954. After the death of Emilie Rothschild, Henry and Dorette's youngest daughter, the Rothschild family descendants gave the house to Washington State Parks in 1959 to serve as a museum. The house is sited to command a sweeping view of Port Townsend, Admiralty Inlet and the Cascade Range. The Rothschild House is on the National Register of Historic Places and is managed by the Jefferson County Historical Society.

Lightkeeper's House at Point Wilson 1879

First time on the Homes Tour, the Lightkeeper's House predates many of the buildings in Fort Worden. Built in 1879 the original lighthouse sat atop the lightkeeper's living quarters. On the second floor can be seen the door that was the entrance to the original lighthouse. The first lightkeeper was a civil war veteran named David M. Littlefield. The houses at Point Wilson were occupied by the lightkeepers until the automation of the light took place in 1975. The most recent residents of the houses were the crewmen of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Osprey.

This house is actually a duplex to accommodate the lightkeeper and the assistant lightkeeper. Much of the interior has been remodeled although the stairway banisters appear to be original. The property at Point Wilson is now under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management.

Point Wilson Lighthouse 1913

Established in 1879, Point Wilson first showed its fixed white beam on December 15th of that same year. The name of the light comes from Captain George Vancouver who first sighted the point in May of 1792. Previous to that, the Clallam and Chiacum Indians knew the point as Kamkum and Kam-kum-ho. The original light was located on top of the lightkeeper's house. It was moved to its present location when the structure was built in 1913. The first lightkeeper at Point Wilson was David M. Littlefield, a civil war veteran who lived in Port Townsend for several years. The lens was changed in 1887 when the 3 red panels were added.

Judge Ralston House 1890

Originally a farm house with outbuildings, this grand Victorian was home to Judge John Ralston, his wife Lizzie and their two children Catherine and Graham. Apparently they purchased this country house shortly after it was built in order to raise goats on the property because of Catherine's milk allergy. John Ralston was originally from Nova Scotia, came to Port Townsend at the age of 20, was admitted to the bar in 1895, married Lizzie Waite in 1889, served as a prosecuting attorney and became a superior court judge for island, Clallam and Jefferson counties in 1912.

The original house contained two parlors, a dining room and a kitchen downstairs and four bedrooms upstairs. Around 1905 the Ralstons added a downstairs kitchen wing, sun porch, pantry and larder and two more bedrooms and a bath upstairs. Later changes included the relocation of the kitchen to the site of the former pantry and larder and the conversion of a small bedroom into a second bathroom. The most recent change is the major addition of a garage with a large apartment above it. Moldings and woodwork in the newest addition are in the same style as in the original house.

TEA HOUSE at The Kelly Building

A new location for the 2006 Tea House is the second floor of the Kelly Building at 2000 Sims Way. This beautiful building is easily recognizable with its striking Victorian facade. Please come up to the second floor for complimentary tea and cookies provided by the hospital auxiliary and be sure to take time to tour the Kelly Art Deco Light Museum. The museum features a collection of over 400 chandeliers, wall sconces and table lights and is the only American Art Deco Slip-Shade Light Museum in the world today. Before you leave be sure to check out the beautiful hardware, light fixtures, antiques and accessories for sale in Vintage Hardware located on the main floor.