That's My World -- Port Townsend

Welcome again to That's My World, a wonderful meme beautifully hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise. Click here to sign up and join us for the fun and share Your World with us!

I have been planning on writing about Port Townsend for sometime as another lovely and fascinating place to visit in "my world", then I discovered a wonderful blog site, hosted by Raf and it is so worth a visit! But I'm going to go ahead and give you some of the history and a few shots, courtesy of the internet and then if you really want to see Port Townsend as it is today, do visit Raf's blog.

Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Seattle. The population was 8,334 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the city is also known for the many Victorian buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boat builders and related industries and crafts. The Port Townsend Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.

The bay was originally named "Port Townshend" by Captain George Vancouver (for his friend the Marquis of Townshend) in 1792, Port Townsend 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 Chemakum (or Chimacum), 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 1800s, 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.



The Port Townsend Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and further was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. It includes three separately listed Registered Historic Places: the Capt. Enoch S. Fowler House, the Rothschild House, and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Over the decades that followed, Port Townsend maintained its economic stability in a variety of ways, including the development of artillery fortifications at Fort Worden. Currently, it is most famous economically for the jazz workshop that is held there every summer. As part of the workshop, famous jazz musicians play all week in the Port Townsend clubs and bars, drawing many tourists to the area.

Friends of mine from Portland attended the Wooden Boat Festival a few years ago and sent me some gorgeous photos and this is one of them.

The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival will be September 11-13, 2009. It's worth the visit.

The premiere wooden boat gathering in North America, Port Townsend's Wooden Boat Festival is also the most educational and beautifully located wooden boat event in the world. Featuring 200 wooden vessels, a who's who of wooden boat experts and thousands of wooden boat enthusiasts, there's something to do, someone to meet or a boat to board at every turn. Expanded a little each year, the festival honors its traditions while inviting energetic debate about the latest innovation.