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Real Estate focusing on Port Townsend Homes, Land, Commercial and all other types of real estate property. |
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Port Townsend Real Estate and Area InformationLocated in the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, in the "rain shadow" of the Olympic Mountains. The area is one of natural beauty, ranging in altitude from sea level to 350 feet above. It is bordered by the waters of Discovery Bay, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Port Townsend Bay. Beyond lie the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The Puget Sound waters off Point Wilson are legendary among Northwest fishermen.The annual rainfall for the vicinity over the past four years averaged approximately 18 inches. Mean temperatures for 1994 averaged 44 degrees during the winter months and 57 degrees during the summer months. Conditions may vary from rainy to windy to warm and dry, but high humidity and suffocating heat are rare. Freezing temperatures and snow are also rare. Port Townsend is one of only three Victorian Seaports on the National Historic Register. The downtown waterfront area and the residential area above the bluff with its preserved Victorian homes and commercial buildings are designated a National Historic District. as is Fort Worden, which was built at the turn of the century as part of the Port Townsend harbor defense system for Puget Sound. It is now a state park, and its restored barracks and officers' homes are available for public rental. The Fort also provides camping facilities and a wide variety of recreational activities, with its beaches, miles of wooded trails, and Marine Science Center and museum.  Community ProfilePopulation:Port Townsend: 8200 Jefferson County:25,000 Jefferson County areaacreage: 176,282 square miles: 1820 Municipal ServicesCity: Water, sewer, garbage, animal control Fire DepartmentNine fulltime staff members, 28 volunteers, three aid units, eight engines. Law EnforcementEleven full time staff members, eight reserves, 11 patrol units. County Fire DepartmentOne full time staff, 73 volunteers, 3 aid units, 17 engines. Law enforcement: 34 full time sheriff personnel, 13 reserve, 13 patrol units. Chamber of CommerceIn operation for over 107 years with 14 active committees and a membership that includes 240 local businesses. EducationPort Townsend: Two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school; two private schools, seven preschools, and one community college branch, one library. Jefferson County: Two elementary schools, one junior high, and two high schools; one private school and two preschools; one library and a mobile library unit.Community Services Civic/Fraternal/Professional OrganizationsOver 75 organizations with local, regional, national, or international affiliation. RecreationPublic swimming pool, three golf courses, 16 tennis courts, bowling alley, hiking trails, over 160 acres of public parks. Local GovernmentCity: Mayor, seven council members. County seat: Three commissioners, Port Authory: three commissioners. Tax RateCity property tax: $14.45 per $1,000; City sales tax: 7.8%; City utilities/franchise excise tax: 6%; City B&O tax 0.25 of gross sales tax receipts. County property tax: $11.78 per $1,000; County sales tax: 7.8%. Financial InstitutionsThree banks, three savings & loan, two credit unions. IndustryPulp & paper, marine trades, boat building, health services, retail, wood products, diversified manufacturing, tourism. Health Services45-bed hospital, air ambulance, 31 doctors covering 20 areas of medical practice, 15 dental specialists, 92-bed nursing home. Senior Citizens Organizations35 local organizations and agencies provide a vast variety of services. Churches29 congregations encompassions 23 denominations/faiths. Cultural/Performing ArtsOver 75 annual events sponsored by Centrum and other local organizations. Events range from jazz festivals, historic home tours, dinner theatre, craft fairs, sailing regattas, summer youth symposium, writers' conference, and film festivals. Transportation/Delivery ServicesJefferson County International Airport: Charter Airlines. Jefferson County Transit: Daily service throughout the city and county; two motor freight lines, two express delivery services, taxi and limousine service, Washington State Ferry service between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island. History In 1792, British Captain George Vancouver sailed up the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the entrance of what is now Puget Sound. He noted in the ship's log that he had found a very safe and capacious harbor, which he named Port Townsend, in honor of his friend the Marquis of Townsend.Sixty years later the first white settlers, Alfred A. Plummer and Charles Bachelder, arrived and built a log cabin at what is now the corner of Water and Tyler streets. Washington State archives record April 24, 1851 as Plummer's filing date and Port Townsend's official beginning. The small settlement became a thriving seaport, reaching its peak population of 7,000 in 1890. Port Townsend's prospects as a center for Puget Sound appeared limitless. The impressive Victorian homes and commercial buildings erected during this period are still the city's trademark. In the early 1890's, the failure of a proposed linkage with the Union Pacific's transcontinental railroad, along with the emergence of the inland ports of Seattle and Tacoma, led to the collapse of the city's economic boom. Over the next 30 years, the establishment of U.S. Army coast artillery installations, and a pulp & paper mill bolstered the economic stability of the community. Port Townsend's population never approached the 20,000 residents once anticipated, but the city continues to maintain the look and feel of a bustling Victorian seaport.
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