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Several weeks ago I wrote about Port Townsend, WA for My World. I purposely didn’t write about a particular site in Port Townsend because I thought it was interesting enough for me to devote an entire segment about it on My World. And that is what my subject is for today. The photos are courtesy of Google.
Today, Manresa Castle is a well known hotel in Port Townsend, Washington. It is the site of many weddings, as well as a great place for vacationers. It also hosts Milongas which are specifically devoted to the tango, and groups of tango fans who enjoy celebrating and dancing that beautiful and exotic dance. It also has a reputation for being haunted.
The Castle was completed in 1892 as the home of Charles and Kate Eisenbeis. Mr. Eisenbeis was a prominent member of the early Port Townsend business community. His business interests were diverse including a bakery, brick works, lumber mill, brewery, bank and a hotel. In 1878, when Port Townsend became the first incorporated city in Jefferson County, its citizens elected Eisenbeis as the first mayor.
In keeping with his status in the community, Eisenbeis built what was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend, consisting of 30 rooms. Locals referred to the building as the "Eisenbeis Castle;" its design was reminiscent of some of the castles in Eisenbeis' native Prussia.
The walls were 12 inches thick, made with bricks from Eisenbeis' own brick work's and the roof was slate. Tiled fireplaces and finely crafted woodwork were installed by German artisans.
Charles died in 1902 and Kate remarried a few years later. The Castle was left empty for almost 20 years except for a caretaker. In 1925, a Seattle attorney bought the Castle as a vacation place for nuns teaching in Seattle schools. This plan did not work out well and in 1927 the Jesuit priests purchased the building for use as a training college. The priests spent their sixteenth and final year of training here studying ascetic theology.
In 1928, the Jesuits added a large wing housing a chapel and sleeping rooms. They also installed the elevator (an Otis) at a cost of $3,400 -- a substantial sum in those days. When their addition was complete, the Jesuits stuccoed over the bricks of the original portion to give the building a more uniform look. They named the complex "Manresa Hall" after the town in Spain where Ignatius Loyola founded the order.
The Jesuits left in 1968 and the building was converted into a hotel. The elements "Manresa" and "Castle" were taken from the two previous owners to create the current name.
The three different owners since 1968 have all done their part to lovingly renovate the building to modern standards while maintaining its Victorian elegance. For example, there were only 3 bathrooms when the Jesuits left - today there are 43.
Ghost Stories:
Reports are that rooms 302, 304 & 306 are haunted. There are reports of two ghosts in residence. One is about a monk who hung himself in the attic. Sometimes people hear footsteps walking above them, but there is no one in the attic. The other ghost is a young lady who had been waiting for her beloved to return from war. After hearing of his demise, she threw herself out her window.
Also, In the chapel/cafe drinking glasses are know to explode, even when in one server's hand, & sometimes the empty glasses are know to be turned upside-down. There were many entries in the room journals, that the manager has graciously let some visitors read, that comment on the Castle's haunting.
