Drive-By
Exterior Viewing & Retail Visit
View the 1889 four-story brick block at the corner of Water and Tyler and visit ground-floor retail tenants including Wynwoods Gallery and Bead Studio.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Museum / Historical Site
James and Hastings Building
An 1889 four-story brick commercial block at the corner of Water and Tyler in downtown Port Townsend, home to Wynwoods Gallery and a documented account of phantom chain sounds.
940 Water St, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 7sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Retail tenant access during business hours; building exterior publicly viewable.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Street-level retail entries accessible; upper floors via stairs.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1889 · Contributing property to the Port Townsend Historic District (NHL 1977) · Built by Francis W. James and Lucinda Hastings, widow of co-founder Loren B. Hastings · Four-story brick-and-stone commercial block representing the high end of 1889 Port Townsend construction
The James and Hastings Building occupies the northeast corner of Water and Tyler Streets at 940 Water Street. It was completed in 1889 as a partnership between Francis W. James and Lucinda Hastings (widow of Loren B. Hastings, a Port Townsend founder). The four-story brick and stone commercial block represents the upper end of the city's Victorian-boom commercial construction.
As with most Port Townsend boom-era buildings, the planned transcontinental railroad terminus that drove speculative construction never arrived, and after 1893 the building shifted through a series of commercial tenants. In the modern era the ground floor has hosted retail businesses, with Wynwoods Gallery and Bead Studio among long-tenured tenants on Water Street.
The building is a contributing property to the Port Townsend Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. It is referenced in the city's catalog of historic commercial architecture and remains in continuous mixed retail and upper-floor use.
Sources
- https://www.ptleader.com/stories/historic-community-has-haunting-history,914
- https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/12623/
- https://ghost.hauntedhouses.com/washington_port_townsend_james_and_hastings_building
- https://www.ghostquest.net/haunted-places-port-townsend-washington.html
- https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/spirits-call-port-townsend-home-all-year-round/
- https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/arts-entertainment/port-townsend-haunted-houses-ghosts/
- https://www.letsroam.com/ghost-tour/port-townsend-wa
Reported sound of clinking, dropped metal chains with no visible source (Wynwoods Gallery)Reports that merchandise has been moved overnightAnecdotal account of a male apparition in old-fashioned clothing
Paranormal lore at the James and Hastings Building is concentrated at Wynwoods Gallery and Bead Studio, one of the building's longer-running retail tenants. Per the Port Townsend Leader and a 2004 correspondence with Laura Reutter of Ravenstone Tiles, Wynwoods proprietor Lois Venarchick reported hearing what sounded like loud, dropped metal chains while staying late at her gallery — with no visible or identifiable source.
The Peninsula Daily News' 'Spirits call Port Townsend home all year round' feature and the Gig Harbor Now 'Day Tripper' Puget Sound Loop article both include the building in their downtown Port Townsend haunted-stop catalogs. GhostQuest and HauntedHouses.com aggregate additional anecdotal lore characterizing the gallery's resident spirit as mischievous, said to move merchandise and unroll yarn or bead strands, with a particular interest in red items. Other lore in the same sources describes a male apparition in old-fashioned clothing seen in the building. The building is included as a stop on Let's Roam's 'Phantoms of Port Townsend' self-guided ghost tour.
With at least four independent outlets carrying the chain-sound account (PT Leader, Peninsula Daily News, Gig Harbor Now, and the Let's Roam tour), the lore exceeds single-source status while still being concentrated at the gallery and best understood as cultural memory rather than independently verified paranormal evidence.
Notable Entities
Unnamed mischievous gallery spiritUnnamed male apparition
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.ptleader.com/stories/historic-community-has-haunting-history,914
- 2.pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/12623
- 3.ghost.hauntedhouses.com/washington_port_townsend_james_and_hastings_building
- 4.ghostquest.net/haunted-places-port-townsend-washington.html
- 5.peninsuladailynews.com/news/spirits-call-port-townsend-home-all-year-round
- 6.gigharbornow.org/news/arts-entertainment/port-townsend-haunted-houses-ghosts
- 7.letsroam.com/ghost-tour/port-townsend-wa
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is James and Hastings Building family-friendly?
Family-friendly historic commercial block with retail tenants; ghost lore is benign and curiosity-tier. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit James and Hastings Building?
Retail tenant access during business hours; building exterior publicly viewable. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is James and Hastings Building wheelchair accessible?
Yes, James and Hastings Building is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Street-level retail entries accessible; upper floors via stairs..