Rothschild House (Port Townsend, Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Rothschild House is a house in Port Townsend, Washington
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1970. It is included in Port Townsend Historic District
which was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1977.
David Charles Henry Rothschild, commonly known as Henry, was one of seven siblings from Suzlbach, Bavaria. Some, including the two youngest, Henry and Betty, immigrated to the United States in the 1840s. Their brother, William, nearly 15 years older than Henry, preceded him to America. William had settled in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and had established 'The Kentucky Store." Henry joined his brother in this venture, but in 1848, he returned to Sulzbach for 3 months, and then returned to America by way of Cape Horn, directly to San Francisco, California. There, he served as secretary of the Phoenix Quartz Mining Company, and was a member of both the Tehama Quartz Mining Company and the North California Mining Company. It is likely that his mercantile business was directed to prospectors, if he himself was not also prospecting. Henry opened a store with a partner in Nevada City, but sold out the following year and went first to New York and then back to Bavaria. The following year, Henry was back in Nevada City, and opened another store there for a year. He.decided to travel to exotic places for the next 3 years, visiting China, East Indies, Australia, Tahiti, and Society Islands. He returned to San Francisco to mine for 6 months, and opened a tobacco and cigar store in Sacremento. Eventually, he chose to raise a family in Port Townsend, Washington, as it was known as one of the best ports north of San Francisco, and he established another store called 'The Kentucky Store'. This was to be the first general mercantile store in the area, and this business marked the birth of the business community there. His wife, Dorette, was considerably younger, but also from Bavaria.
Henry, or DCH Rothschild had many friends and it has been written that he was a benevolent and kind man. He was extremely well known in shipping circles, which became his main business in 1881, when he renamed his business 'Rothschild and Co. He provisioned ships and did some salvage operations. That business, now called 'Jones Stevedoring', was handled by DCH and his sons, handed down through his daughter's husband, and became enormously successful and weathered the test of centuries.
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
. It 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 1970. It is included in 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...
which 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.
David Charles Henry Rothschild, commonly known as Henry, was one of seven siblings from Suzlbach, Bavaria. Some, including the two youngest, Henry and Betty, immigrated to the United States in the 1840s. Their brother, William, nearly 15 years older than Henry, preceded him to America. William had settled in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and had established 'The Kentucky Store." Henry joined his brother in this venture, but in 1848, he returned to Sulzbach for 3 months, and then returned to America by way of Cape Horn, directly to San Francisco, California. There, he served as secretary of the Phoenix Quartz Mining Company, and was a member of both the Tehama Quartz Mining Company and the North California Mining Company. It is likely that his mercantile business was directed to prospectors, if he himself was not also prospecting. Henry opened a store with a partner in Nevada City, but sold out the following year and went first to New York and then back to Bavaria. The following year, Henry was back in Nevada City, and opened another store there for a year. He.decided to travel to exotic places for the next 3 years, visiting China, East Indies, Australia, Tahiti, and Society Islands. He returned to San Francisco to mine for 6 months, and opened a tobacco and cigar store in Sacremento. Eventually, he chose to raise a family in Port Townsend, Washington, as it was known as one of the best ports north of San Francisco, and he established another store called 'The Kentucky Store'. This was to be the first general mercantile store in the area, and this business marked the birth of the business community there. His wife, Dorette, was considerably younger, but also from Bavaria.
Henry, or DCH Rothschild had many friends and it has been written that he was a benevolent and kind man. He was extremely well known in shipping circles, which became his main business in 1881, when he renamed his business 'Rothschild and Co. He provisioned ships and did some salvage operations. That business, now called 'Jones Stevedoring', was handled by DCH and his sons, handed down through his daughter's husband, and became enormously successful and weathered the test of centuries.