Rothschild House (Port Townsend, Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rothschild House
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Taylor and Franklin Sts., Port Townsend, Washington, U.S. |
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| Built | 1868 |
| Architect | Horace Tucker |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000639 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1970 |
The Rothschild House is a really old and special house in Port Townsend, Washington, USA. A man named David Charles Henry Rothschild built it way back in 1868. Today, it's a historic house museum, which means you can visit it to learn about the past! The Jefferson County Historical Society takes care of it.
This house is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It's also part of the Port Townsend Historic District, which became a National Historic Landmark in 1977, recognizing its national importance.
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Meet David Rothschild
David Charles Henry Rothschild (1824–1886) was an interesting person who came from a place called Sulzbach am Main in Bavaria, Germany. He was one of seven children.
David's Early Adventures
David came to the United States in the 1840s. His older brother, William, was already here and had a store called "The Kentucky Store" in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. David joined him there.
Later, David traveled a lot! He went back to Bavaria for a short time, then sailed all the way around Cape Horn to San Francisco. In California, he worked for mining companies. He even opened a store with a partner in Nevada City. He sold that store and traveled again, but always came back to start new businesses.
Traveling the World
After running his store for a year, David decided to explore the world for three years. He visited amazing places like China, Australia, Tahiti, and the Society Islands. Imagine all the things he saw!
He returned to San Francisco and tried his hand at mining for six months. Then, he opened a tobacco and cigar store in Sacramento. It was there that he got married.
Settling in Port Townsend
David chose to raise his family in Port Townsend. He and his wife, Dorette, who was also from Bavaria, settled there. Over time, people in Port Townsend started calling him "The Baron." This was a playful nickname, probably because his last name was Rothschild, like the famous Rothschild banking family.
Rothschild & Company
In 1858, soon after moving to Port Townsend, David opened a new "Kentucky Store." This wasn't just a regular shop; it also supplied ships with everything they needed. His business even helped rescue things from shipwrecks!
By 1881, working with ships became his main focus, and the business changed its name to "Rothschild & Company." David Rothschild passed away in April 1886.
His son, Henry, later took over the family business. Henry worked with a partner named William J. Jones. They expanded the business into stevedoring, which means loading and unloading ships at the docks. This company, now called "Jones Stevedoring," is still in business today and is based at the Port of Seattle.
