In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sailed the HMS Discovery up the Strait of Juan de Fuca and named this harbor Port Townshend in honor of the English Marquis of Townshend. Originally a small settlement, Port Townsend evolved into a thriving international seaport notorious for gambling and shanghaiing, and saloons outnumbered every other kind of business on Water Street. By the 1880s, increasing prosperity brought the promise of a railroad terminus, property values soared, and the population exploded. The boom ended in the early 1890s when the country sank into a depression, the railroad never came, and Port Townsend was nearly abandoned. Its majestic Victorian buildings remained intact, though at times neglected. In 1976, historic preservation efforts were rewarded when the downtown and uptown commercial districts were designated a National Historic Landmark District by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The city is regarded as one of the best preserved Victorian seaports in the United States and is known for its year-round calendar of events, distinctive shops, fine restaurants, and outdoor recreational opportunities in a setting of exceptional scenic beauty.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Port Townsend, Washington · USA