Historic House

In partnership with Washington State Parks, we welcome visitors seasonally to our historic house museum for an immersive step into late 19th century and early 20th century life in Port Townsend.

Museums often work hard to recreate the immersive experience we offer at these houses—sometimes curating objects and staging rooms as part of interpreting history for the public. What makes these spaces special is how in-tact and well preserved they are.

With little alteration of the furnishings or objects inside, these historic house museums are like a time capsule and give visitors a sensory, place-based way to learn about daily life in the past and some of the families who lived on the Quimper Peninsula.

1868 Rothschild House

418 Taylor Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
View on Google

Hours

Open April – August for tours

Admission

FREE Admission: JCHS Members, NARM Members, ROAM Members, and Youth

Adult: $9.00
Senior + Military: $7.00
Rothschild House admission is reciprocal with Jefferson Museum admission

The First Saturday of every month is FREE admission for all.

Park Grounds Access
Open year-round for day use, closes at dusk

Accessibility
House interior is two levels that are only accessible by stairs. Grounds are all at street level.

Parking & Restrooms
Limited free parking is available onsite. Uptown streets may be congested during Saturday farmers markets, festivals, and parades.

K
L
About the Family

D.C.H. Rothschild was a Bavarian immigrant who opened the first general mercantile in Port Townsend in 1859. He later specialized in loading and offloading ship cargo and descendants of his still operate that business in Seattle today as Jones Stevedoring. Dorette, an immigrant from Goslar (Germany), married D.C.H. in 1863. D.C.H.'s untimely death in 1886 left her with an infant, four children, and the family business to care for. She persevered, successfully raising her family, and stewarding a home.

The second youngest of the five Rothschild children, Emilie, cared for her mother until her 1918 death and remained in the house to the end of her own life in 1954, keeping the furnishings from her upbringing and changing very little about the home, which was often lively with guests and pets. After Emilie passed, the youngest child, Eugene, deeded the house and its contents to Washington State Parks in 1959.

K
L
About the House

The Greek-revival style Rothschild House was built in 1868 by celebrated local architect and craftsman Horace Tucker. Notably simplistic compared to the ornate Victorian homes dotting Uptown Port Townsend, the sensible house mirrored the family’s values.

In addition to the house, the lot was occupied by the family's rose garden and several outbuildings, including an outhouse and chicken houses. Also on the lot was a two-story building used as the carriage house, washhouse, and woodhouse that served as quarters for hired help, including a Chinese American cook named Toi Chong.

JCHS has managed the Rothschild House in partnership with Washington State Parks since 1999. In addition to providing interpretation and care for the house and its objects, we work with State Parks and living descendants of the Rothschild family to maintain this historic house.

1904 Commanding Officer’s Quarters

announcement!

COQ is now fully managed by washington state parks

 

After years of successful collaboration in managing the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum, we’re transitioning full operation to Washington State Parks.

We’re grateful and excited for Washington State Parks’ dedication to this historic home’s future. This museum remains a must-visit for residents and visitors alike.

We thank you for your support and encourage you to keep exploring COQ’s stories.

Click here for more info.

Accessibility
House interior is multiple levels that are only accessible by stairs with no ADA access.

Parking & Restrooms
Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to state parks and for day use parking. Visitor restrooms are available at Fort Worden Hospitality Guest Services desk, near beach shelters, and at campground.

K
L
About the House

Located at the head of Officers Row at Fort Worden, this historic house museum offers a unique glimpse into the daily life of early 20th century senior U.S. Army officers and their families. Completed in April 1904, Commanding Officer's Quarters overlooks Admiralty Inlet, with striking views on clear days of Mount Baker to the north and the Cascades to the west.

Along with late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings, this nearly 6,000-square-foot house features a cross-gabled slate roof with fancy chimneys and decorated boxed cornices, fireplaces, built-in dining room cabinets with glass doors, 10-foot-high pressed tin ceilings, pocket doors, Palladian windows, and brass chandeliers.

K
L
About Fort Worden

Fort Worden was an early 20th century U. S. Army (Coast Artillery Corps) fort. As headquarters for the Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound, the fort held a strategically important position in the triangle of defensive forts constructed to protect the entrance to Puget Sound and safeguard the naval shipyard in Bremerton.

When Fort Worden was commissioned in 1902, there were no permanent buildings to house the troops. The men were billeted in tents atop Artillery Hill until the first 23 buildings were constructed around the parade ground in 1904. Ultimately, 228 main buildings and subsidiary structures were constructed—including barracks, officers' quarters, administration buildings, kitchen and mess halls, a bakery, guard house, hospital, powerhouse, signal station, and wharf.

Most U.S. military buildings of this era are long gone, but Fort Worden's have been preserved. Military operations ceased at the fort in 1953 and in 1957, the State of Washington purchased it for use as a juvenile diagnostic and treatment center between 1958 and 1971. The property was transferred to Washington State Parks in 1973 for development as a conference and events center.

JCHS operates historic houses in partnership with Washington State Parks

Additional support for the preservation and care of the Rothschild House is provided by descendants of the Rothschild family.