Port Townsend, Washington
Encyclopedia
Port Townsend icon is a city in Jefferson County, Washington
Jefferson County, Washington
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2010, the population was 29,872. The county seat is at Port Townsend, which is also the county's only incorporated city....

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) north-northwest of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

 (as the crow flies). The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 and only incorporated city of Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Washington
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2010, the population was 29,872. The county seat is at Port Townsend, which is also the county's only incorporated city....

. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...

, the city is also known for the many Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts. The Port Townsend Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.

History

The bay was originally named "Port Townshend" by Captain George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...

 (for his friend the Marquis of Townshend
George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend
Field Marshal George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, PC , known as The Viscount Townshend from 1764 to 1787, was a British soldier who reached the rank of field marshal.-Early life:...

) in 1792. It was immediately recognized as a good, safe harbor although strong south winds and poor holding ground often make small craft anchorage problematic off the town's waterfront. The bay is now home to Naval Magazine Indian Island, the US Navy's primary munitions handling dock on the Pacific coast.

The official settlement of the city of the same name took place on the 24th of April, 1851. American Indian tribes located in what is now Jefferson County in the mid-19th century included the Chimakum
Chimakum
The Chimakum, also spelled Chemakum and Chimacum , were a Native American people who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula, between Hood Canal and Discovery Bay through the mid-19th century...

 (or Chemakum), Hoh (a group of the Quileute), Klallam (or Clallam), Quinault and Twana (the Kilcid band — Anglicized: Quilcene).

Port Townsend is also called the "City of Dreams" because of the early speculation that the city would be the largest harbor on the west coast of the United States.

By the late 19th century, Port Townsend was a well-known seaport, very active and banking on the future. Many homes and buildings were built during that time, with most of the architecture ornate Victorian. During this period, in 1888, the Port Townsend Police Department was established.

Railroads were built to reach more areas in the 1870-1890s and Port Townsend was to be the northwest extension of the rail lines. Its port was large and frequented by overseas vessels, so shipping of goods and timber from the area was a major part of the economy. Many of the buildings were built on the speculation that Port Townsend would become a booming shipping port and major city. When the depression hit, those plans lost the capital to continue and rail lines ended on the east side of Puget Sound, mainly in Tumwater
Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census...

, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

 and Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

. With the other Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

 ports growing in size, Port Townsend saw a rapid decline in population when the Northern Pacific Railroad failed to connect the city to the eastern Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

 city of Tacoma. By the late 1890s, the boom was over. Without the railroad to spur economic growth, the town shrank and investors looked elsewhere to make a good return.

Over the decades that followed, Port Townsend maintained its economic stability in a variety of ways, including the development of artillery fortifications
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....

 at Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...

. Many people left the area and many buildings were abandoned. Port Townsend's economy was very weak until the 1920s when a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...

 was built on the edge of the town.

The town experienced a renaissance beginning in the 1970s as new residents, including many retirees, moved to town.

Recognition of historic status

Because of the speed at which the economy fell in the 1890s and the non-existence of any industry or economy to replace it, none of the Victorian buildings were torn down or built over in the intervening period. They were, in essence, preserved as time capsules for the next 100 years when the value of keeping them intact was appreciated and fostered.

The Port Townsend Historic District
Port Townsend Historic District
The Port Townsend Historic District is an area within Port Townsend, Washington listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. It was listed on the National Register in 1976, and further was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. It includes three separately...

, an area including many Victorian era buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1976, and further was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1977

Architecture

Port Townsend is noted for a vast collection of Victorian homes and significant historical buildings. The city has more than a dozen larger buildings that are well preserved, including the Carnegie Library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...

, the Federal Building (now commonly known simply as the city's post office), the Rose Theatre and the Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...

 Lodge, which now houses Silverwater Cafe. There is also Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...

 with its pre-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 architecture including the publicly accessible Olympic Youth Hostel. Perhaps the most stunning historical structure in Port Townsend is the Jefferson County Courthouse, a spectacular representation of the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style with a 125 foot bell tower.

In 1976, the Downtown waterfront and parts of Uptown were designated a Registered Historic District. Later, Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...

 (now part of Fort Worden State Park) and the City of Port Townsend were designated National Historic Landmarks. The city is further recognized as one of only three Victorian seaports on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

The Bell Tower on the bluff above downtown is one of two known towers of this type in the United States. It was used from 1890 to the 1940s to call volunteer firefighters. It was restored in 2003 by the Jefferson County Historical Society. The second bell tower is located in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...

, and was also used to summon volunteers and alert townspeople of any fires during late 19th century early gold rush days.

Culture

The sign entering town calls Port Townsend a "Victorian Seaport and Arts Community." Port Townsend is host to several annual events such as the Wooden Boat Festival, Kinetic Skulpture Race, and the annual blues and jazz festival.

Boating and maritime life are central cultural elements in this port town, with regattas, weekly races and a multitude of recreational opportunities. The marine trades industry is an anchor economic driver for the community, with highly skilled, world-renowned trades people. The port is home to many classic wooden boats, and gets visits from many others seeking repairs.

By and large an artist haven, downtown there are many galleries and two artist collectives. There is a strong monthly Arts Walk and a plethora of classes, workshop and trainings.

Port Townsend also holds a growing independent film festival in September.

The Rose Theatre is a cinema downtown which shows contemporary American and foreign films. There is also the Uptown Theater, showing more family-oriented films, and a nearby drive-in theater is open during the summer months.

Fort Worden State Park is home to a number of cultural organizations and venues. Centrum (arts organization) is a culture and art organization that hosts a multitude of concerts, festivals and workshops at Fort Worden. These include Fiddle Tunes, Blues, Jazz, Voice, Chamber Music, and much more. Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, specializing in the publication of poetry and located in the picturesque town of Port Townsend, Washington. Since 1972, the Press has published poetry exclusively and has established an international reputation for its commitment to...

, the poetry press, is located here, as are Goddard College, Madrona Mindbody Institute, Olympic Hostel, Peninsula College, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Port Townsend School of Woodworking, and the Third Ear Project.

Geography

Port Townsend is located at 48°6′59"N 122°46′31"W (48.116514, -122.775254). It is situated at the extreme northeastern end of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...

, on the north end of a large, semi-protected bay. Port Townsend is adjacent to the Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet is a strait in the U.S. state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound. It lies between Whidbey Island and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula....

 and a trio of State Parks built on retired artillery installations (Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...

, Fort Casey
Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park is located on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Admiralty Inlet was considered so strategic to the defense of Puget Sound in the 1890s that three forts, Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, and Fort Worden at Port Townsend, were built at the...

, and Fort Flagler). The city and its surroundings are well-treed with large Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...

 dominant over many other tree species in the remaining wooded areas.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.5 km²), of which, 7.0 square miles (18.1 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²) of it (26.03%) is water.

In addition to road links to the south and west, Port Townsend is accessible via ferry from the Washington State Ferry system, which links Port Townsend with the Keystone ferry terminal on Whidbey Island, on the east side of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

.

Climate

Port Townsend has a moderate Oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...

 with uniform precipitation throughout the year. It lies in a rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...

 and receives an average of only 18.75 inches' annual precipitation. However, the environment is not as dry as the mean yearly total would suggest because cool breezes and fogs from the Juan de Fuca Strait provide high humidity

Demographics

According to the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, there were 8,334 people, 3,917 households and 2,201 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,191.8 people per square mile (460.3/km²). There were 4,250 housing units at an average density of 607.8 per square mile (234.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.27% White, 0.58% African American, 1.25% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.30% of the population.

There were 3,917 households of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.67. 205 of these households were on the waiting list of the Housing Choice Voucher Program as of 2003.

Age distribution was 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median household income was $34,536, and the median family income was $47,027. Males had a median income of $38,013 versus $27,753 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $22,395. About 8.9% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Port Townsend operates with a council-manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...

 form of government. Administrative offices are located in the recently renovated City Hall Building on Water Street in downtown Port Townsend.

Media

  • Peninsula Daily News—Port Townsend/Jefferson County Edition
  • Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
  • Liberty Magazine
    Liberty (1987)
    Liberty is a leading libertarian journal founded in 1987 by R. W. Bradford in Port Townsend, Washington, and currently edited from San Diego, California, by Stephen Cox...

    (founded by R. W. Bradford
    R. W. Bradford
    Raymond William Bradford was an American writer chiefly known for editing, publishing, and writing for the libertarian magazine Liberty....

     in 1987)
  • Loompanics
    Loompanics
    Loompanics Unlimited was an American book seller and publisher specializing in nonfiction on generally unconventional or controversial topics, with a philosophy considered tending to a mixture of libertarian and left wing ideals, although Loompanics carried books expressing other political...


Sister city

Port Townsend is twinned with Ichikawa, Hyōgo
Ichikawa, Hyogo
is a town located in Kanzaki District, Hyōgo, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 14,305 and a density of 173 persons per km². The total area is 82.70 km².-Sister city:...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. A group of local students participate in an exchange with this city during the summer.

The Port Townsend Sister Cities Friends is currently exploring the possibility of adding another sister city.

According to the Washington State Lieutenant Governor's website, Port Townsend also has a sister city relationship with Jalapa, Nicaragua, though the city's website does not reflect this.

Tourism

Port Townsend is essentially a tourist attraction because it promotes a theme of preservation to draw people to the city. When people arrive, they expect to experience the history of the Pacific Northwest and a taste of the Victorian era. The town reinvents the environment as themed entertainment to satisfy the tourists.

Several of the buildings have been restored and “kept up” including, the Bell Tower, Manresa Castle, City Hall, the Courthouse, and the Post Office. During the middle 19th century the sudden increase in population of Port Townsend required a demand for more homes that catered to the middle class. With the Native population becoming decimated by small pox, measles, and other diseases transmitted by contact with white explorers, there was more opportunity to build additional Victorian style homes, being that Victorian was the popular style at the time.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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