Uptown Port Townsend & Victorian Homes
A bluff-top residential district lined with colourful Victorian mansions, home to the Rothschild House and famous for the spiral staircase in the Ann Starrett Mansion.
Merchants and sea captains did business in Downtown and built their homes on the bluff, creating what is now Uptown. Strolling along Lawrence and Jefferson Streets, you will pass more than a hundred Queen Anne-style wooden houses. The Rothschild House, dating from 1868, is now a state park and is open to visitors in summer, with its original furniture and gardens. The Ann Starrett Mansion, built in 1889, is known for its freestanding spiral staircase and ceiling murals, and it now operates as a bed and breakfast. Downtown and Uptown are linked by the Taylor Street Steps, and at the bottom of the steps is the Haller Fountain, built in 1906. Wandering the neighbourhood is free. Check the official website for house opening hours.
Opening hours
Exterior visible all day; Rothschild House open in summer
Nearby sights
- Port Townsend Historic District – Downtown (Water Street)
- Port Townsend–Coupeville Ferry
- Jefferson Museum of Art & History
- Northwest Maritime Center
- Chetzemoka Park
- Jefferson County Courthouse
- Port Townsend Marine Science Center
- Fort Worden Historical State Park