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Port Townsend Historical Sites

History > Historic Homes

Name: Milo P. Ward House
Year Built: 1889
Location: 1701 Jackson Street
Area: Uptown Port Townsend

Except for removal of a side bay window, this handsome Victorian residence remains nearly in its original condition. Milo Ward, partner in one of then-prosperous Port Townsend's 28 real estate firms, had the house built during the city's boom period and sold it two years later. Since then there have been a succession of owners. The present owner received the Mary P. Johnson award for "exemplary restoration and continued maintenance of historic structures, both interior and exterior." The authentic furnishings in this charming relic of the past help transport the visitor back in time.

A title search of the property reveals that the first recorded transaction took place on May 22, 1871. On June 5, 1889, Milo Ward bought one lot of the block. The James F. Hill House, next door, was very similar in style, size, and framework, but attempts to identify the builder/architect (assumed the same for both houses) have proven fruitless.

Hill and Ward were were business partners, along with another man named Harper, and all three families lived on Morgan Hill within a block of each other.

The floors throughout are original softwood fir, and most of the paintings in the house were done by local artists. The current owners have done extensive restoration and remodeling to this house, as well as to the Hill House next door. The kitchen has been completely renovated, but the original double-hung windows were retained. Some of the light fixtures and cabinets came from the old Port Townsend Lincoln School, and the wood stove comes from the old Palace Hotel.

Some data modified from the National Register Information System. Many descriptions used by permission of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce. All material copyrighted by PTguide.com.