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HISTORY
of the
Jefferson County Historical Society
The first settlers of Port Townsend
(est. 1851) and Jefferson County (est. 1852) had a strong sense of community
pride and history-in-the-making when they organized the "Jefferson County
Historical Society of Washington Territory" on May 3, 1879. The mission of the
Society today is virtually unchanged: "...to actively discover, collect,
preserve, and promote the heritage of Jefferson County in the State of
Washington." In practice, the JCHS has evolved over the ensuing years to meet
new challenges; gaining in strength, focus, and professionalism with each
endeavor.
Like many young communities in the Puget Sound, Port Townsend aspired to
greatness. Calling itself the "Key City" and the "New York of the West," Port
Townsend quickly became a bustling seaport and customs gateway to the Pacific
Northwest, with an impressive waterfront commercial district of stone and brick
buildings and many elegant Victorian homes on the bluff above. Fortunes,
however, reversed in the mid-1890s, and the town's population fell from 7,000 to
2,000 almost overnight, leaving its grand buildings empty and, in many cases,
unfinished. Only the nearby activity of Fort Worden (est. 1902) and the paper
mill (est. 1928) kept Port Townsend from becoming a total ghost town. There was
little economic incentive for new construction. Some original buildings were
adapted for reuse, others remained vacant; most fell into disrepair.
In 1932, the mission of the Jefferson County Historical Society was reaffirmed,
emphasizing the importance of collecting and preserving "papers, documents,
photographs, pictures and other objects...and the suitable arrangement and
housing of such collections..." Space was secured in the basement of the
Carnegie Library to house the collections and conduct Society business.
In the early 1950s, the Society undertook its first effort in historic
preservation when it mounted a campaign to raise $1,500 and organize volunteers
to repair and repaint the historic Bell Tower on the bluff - proud symbol of
Port Townsend's history. This activity inspired the community and reinvigorated
the Society. In 1951, the year of Port Townsend's centennial, the Jefferson
County Historical Society opened a museum in the old Court Room of the historic
City Hall. Membership in the Society grew, collections expanded, and individuals
began to restore the old Victorian buildings in the town. A research library was
established in 1960 as part of the museum and a major publication on the history
of Jefferson County, With Pride in Heritage, was published in 1966.
In 1971, the Bell Tower was again in need of repair. This time, JCHS raised more
than $9,500 to pay for the restoration effort. In gratitude, the community gave
the Jefferson County Historical Society a 99-year lease in part of the old City
Hall for a museum and archive. Port Townsend's special historical landscape and efforts at
preservation and restoration began to receive outside recognition. In 1975, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation undertook an architectural survey and
inventory of the central business district and the Washington Trust for Historic
Preservation was established, with headquarters to operate out of the Jefferson
County Historical Society.
Although the Washington Trust moved on to a permanent location in Olympia, Port
Townsend and adjacent Fort Worden gained status as National Historic Landmark
Districts, and the increased local consciousness of the town's special
historical inheritance imbued the Jefferson County Historical Society with a
greater sense of responsibility as steward of this heritage. Local historic
preservation and restoration projects of all kinds have been encouraged and
lauded with annual JCHS awards since 1978 and the JCHS works closely with the
city and other key groups (especially the Historic Preservation Committee, the
Chamber of Commerce, and the Main Street Program) to promote a healthy
combination of historic preservation and economic stability in the community.
Education and public outreach programs now form an increasingly important
component of the Society's activities. Special lectures, presentations, and
regularly changing museum exhibits on many topics continuously increase an
awareness of and appreciation for our dynamic local history to a growing
audience of visitors and residents. Annual attendance at the JCHS Museum and
JCHS-sponsored events exceeds 20,000 in a town of 8,500 people.
Meanwhile, the JCHS takes its stewardship responsibilities seriously, managing
its museum collections (8,000+ artifacts, 20,000+ photographs, and 500,000+
archival documents) with the support of grant funds and many volunteers.
JCHS manages the Rothschild House Museum for the Washington State Parks and
Recreation Commission.
Once again, proving that history does indeed repeat itself, JCHS mounted a
campaign to raise funds for major restoration of the historic Bell Tower... this
time the cost was over $250,000! In March 2004, the Washington State
Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) named Port Townsend's
Fire Bell Tower, restored by the Jefferson County Historical Society and the
City of Port Townsend, as the recipient of the 2004 State Historic Preservation
Officer's Award for Resource Stewardship.
At the same time, JCHS was deeply involved in raising funds for the restoration
of Port Townsend's landmark City Hall building. The 1892 building is a pivotal
structure in the Port Townsend National Historic Landmark District. Its Council
Chamber had served as the setting for democratic discourse for 114 years. As the
fire and police departments, police court, and City offices moved on to more
modern facilities over the years, the Jefferson County Historical Society's
museum expanded into the spaces left behind.
The maritime environment and over 112 years had taken their toll and the
building was dangerously deteriorated. Port Townsend is located in an active
seismic zone, and although the building has survived past earthquakes without
serious damage, the stability of the building in a large earthquake was
uncertain. The building's operating systems--mechanical, electrical,
communications-- were outdated for use as the center of city government. In
order to continue to be a viable home for city government and the Jefferson
County Historical Society, rehabilitation of the building was necessary.
 Believing that the economic and cultural viability of downtown Port Townsend is
greatly strengthened by the presence of City Hall, the city partnered with JCHS
to save the building. The first step was to build an attached annex; a new
structure that seismically braces the older building and provides for the needs
of a modern city government. At the same time, exterior restoration was
completed on the original building. The
Jefferson County Historical Society returned to its restored home
in November of 2006.
Services Provided by JCHS
Museum: JCHS has operated the Historical Museum in the landmark Port
Townsend City Hall building since 1951. Permanent exhibits tell the story of
Jefferson County from the earliest native peoples to the present day.
Research Center: The archives of JCHS are available to scholars,
students, family genealogists, local governments, the media and others in the
Research Center. The archives contain nearly half a million historic documents
including newspapers, books, letters, maps, posters, programs, clippings,
scrapbooks, and 20,000 photographic images, one of the largest historic
photograph collections in the State of Washington. Reference materials of the
Jefferson County Genealogical Society are kept in the Research Center and JCGS
volunteers assist the JCHS professional archivist in keeping the facility open
to the public five days a week.
Rothschild House: The Rothschild House State Park is managed and staffed by
JCHS. The 1868 Rothschild House provides a look at the life of the Rothschild
family and the history of early Port Townsend commerce.
Changing Exhibits: Temporary exhibitions such as East Meets West:
Celestials in Port Townsend, Jefferson County: 150 Years,
Port Townsend Goes Hollywood, Rothschild Family Textiles, A Gift to
the Future: the City Hall Restoration are created throughout the year.
Lectures and Special Events: JCHS provides educational lectures, programs
and historic reenactments.
Collections: More than 10,000 artifacts are professionally cared for and
safely stored. Every year donors contribute hundreds of individual items.
Education Outreach: The Education Committee develops traveling trunk
exhibits on specific local history topics. They are in great demand from local
teachers and schools. Committee members also provide tour guides and in-class
historic character re-enactors.
Scholarship: JCHS annually awards scholarships to deserving Jefferson
County high school graduates with an interest in studying history at the college
level.
Walking Tours: Talented JCHS volunteers provide regularly scheduled walking
tours of both downtown and uptown historic districts seasonally and by special
request.
Victorian Festival: JCHS sponsors this three-day-long annual event that
draws an ever-growing number of visitors to its lectures, performances,
history's mysteries game, grand ball, cemetery tours, emporium, house tours, and
more.
Historic Property Survey: The goal of the survey team is to document
every historic structure in Jefferson County. Nearly 300 commercial buildings,
homes and barns have been documented since 1999.
Publications: JCHS publishes books, booklets, maps, and catalogs related to
local history and museum exhibits.
Oral History Project: Members of this committee interview Jefferson County
residents, transcribe the interviews and publish them in bound volumes. There
are currently 53 volumes of oral histories in the JCHS archives.
Restoration: JCHS assists local property owners by providing information
vital to the restoration of their historic commercial and residential
structures. More than $10 million worth of commercial restoration has been
undertaken in the community in recent years with JCHS assistance, including the
City Hall building, the Elks building, the Waterman Katz building the Fire Bell
Tower and countless private homes. JCHS led efforts to restore the City Hall
building and the Fire Bell Tower by securing over a million dollars in grant
money and private donations.
Preservation: To encourage and recognize local historic preservation
efforts, JCHS presents annual awards to the most successful projects in
Jefferson County.
Free Admission: Free museum admission is offered to Jefferson County
residents on the first Saturday of every month. Free admission is offered to
school groups from Jefferson County, as well as transportation cost
reimbursement.
Tourism: The Museum and Rothschild House are heritage attractions in
downtown and uptown Port Townsend.
Partnerships: JCHS partners with the City of Port Townsend, Main Street,
the Wooden Boat Foundation, the School of Wooden Boat Building, the Port
Townsend Marine Science Center, Jefferson County Library, Port Townsend Library,
Northwest Maritime Center, Chambers of Commerce, Rhododendron Festival, Brinnon
Heritage Days, Quilcene Days, Uptown Street Fair, Hadlock Days Quilcene
Historical Museum, Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum and the Port Townsend
Farmer's Market. |
