Welcome to Port Townsend: Washington's Victorian Seaport

Welcome to Port Townsend: Washington's Victorian Seaport. . , In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sailed his ship, the HMS Discovery, up the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He 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. Saloons outnumbered every other kind of business on Water Street. By the 1880s, increasingly prosperity brought the promise of a railroad terminus. Property values soared and the population exploded. But the boom was cut short in the early 1890s when the country sank into a depression. The railroad never came and Port Townsend was nearly abandoned., Port Townsend's majestic Victorian buildings remained intact, although 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. Port Townsend is known for its year-round calendar of events, distinctive shops, fine restaurants and outdoor recreational opportunities in a setting of exceptional scenic beauty.