Port Townsend in Jefferson County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Fowler Building
The čičməhαn Trail Stop 6
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2021
1. Fowler Building Marker
Port Townsend's first stone building was completed in 1874 for Enoch S. Fowler. It served as the Jefferson County Courthouse from 1880-1892 (and was also used as a store, performance hall, Masonic Temple, seamen's chapel, and, since 1916, home of the Port Townsend Leader).
Fowler was a ship captain who transported Governor Stevens and his treaty negotiators from place to place, including Point No Point in 1855, where Stevens, Fowler and čičməhαn (Cheech-ma-han) convinced the Natives to trust the whites and affix their "X" marks to the Treaty. Under considerable pressure, the tribes ceded their rights to nearly 440,000 acres of land, receiving in return a 3,480-acre reservation on Hood Canal, the "right of taking fish at usual and accustomed grounds and stations," and $60,000 payable over 20 years.
When čičməhαn died on Indian Island in June 1888, his sons brought his body into town by cedar canoe. Townspeople honored their old friend, who had prevented conflict to save his people, by laying his body in state in the Fowler Building's main parlor for two days, where settlers paid their respects prior to his burial at Laurel Grove Cemetery.
Erected by Native Connections Action Group of the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and Others.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the The Čičməhαn Trail, Port Townsend, Washington series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1888.
Location. 48° 6.915′ N, 122° 45.343′ W. Marker is in Port Townsend, Washington, in Jefferson County. It is on Adams Street north of Water Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 226 Adams Street,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Leader Building (here, next to this marker); Chinese Exclusion Act (within shouting distance of this marker); Preservation (within shouting distance of this marker); Railroad (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Smuggling (about 300 feet away); Hastings Building (about 300 feet away); The Haller Fountain (about 400 feet away); Citizens Independent Telephone Company (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Townsend.
Also see . . .
1. The čičməhαn Trail. (Submitted on August 15, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. The Leader. (Submitted on August 15, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2021
2. Fowler Building (ivy-covered) and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 314 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
