Museum Visit
Historic House Museum Tour
Self-guided or docent-led tour of the 1868 Rothschild family home, preserved with period furnishings. Operated by Jefferson County Historical Society.
- Duration:
- 45 min
Museum / Historical Site
Rothschild House Museum
An 1868 Greek Revival merchant's home in Port Townsend, now a historic house museum on the National Register, associated with the 1886 death of merchant D.C.H. Rothschild.
418 Taylor St, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Suggested donation; nominal admission may apply during open hours. Operated by Jefferson County Historical Society in partnership with WA State Parks.
Access
Limited Access
Historic two-story 1868 Greek Revival house with stairs to upper floors; ground floor accessible to most visitors.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1868 · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1970 · Contributing property to Port Townsend Historic District (NHL 1977) · Considered one of the best-preserved Greek Revival residences on the U.S. West Coast · Built by Bavarian-immigrant merchant D.C.H. Rothschild, who died in 1886
The Rothschild House sits at the corner of Taylor and Jefferson Streets, perched on a bluff above Port Townsend's downtown. It was built in 1868 by Bavarian-immigrant merchant David Charles Henry Rothschild (1824-1886), one of seven siblings from Sulzbach am Main, who came to North America via the 1849 California Gold Rush before settling in Port Townsend and opening the Kentucky Store in 1858. Carpentry was supervised by builder Horace Tucker.
By 1881, Rothschild's business had pivoted to shipping under the name 'Rothschild & Company,' and the family lived in the home through the period of Port Townsend's brief boom. In April 1886 Rothschild was found dead of a gunshot wound on the beach near the Cliff House Saloon; his death was ruled a suicide. The Rothschild family continued to occupy the house, and Rothschild's daughter Emilie lived in the home until her death in 1959, when ownership passed to the State of Washington.
The Rothschild House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1970, and is a contributing property to the Port Townsend Historic District, which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The house is one of the few surviving structures from Port Townsend's pre-boom era and remains substantially intact with original family furnishings.
The Jefferson County Historical Society manages the Rothschild House Museum in partnership with Washington State Parks, offering seasonal public tours that emphasize 1860s-1890s frontier merchant life on Puget Sound.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothschild_House_(Port_Townsend,_Washington)
- https://www.jchsmuseum.org/rothschild-house
- https://jchsmuseum.com/About/Sites/RothschildHouse.html
- https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WA-01-031-0093-03
- https://www.wahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/rothschild-house-museum.html
- https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/rothschild-house-museum/
- https://ghost.hauntedhouses.com/washington_port_townsend_rothschild_house
- https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/spirits-call-port-townsend-home-all-year-round/
Slamming doors reported in upper roomsReported cold spots in interior roomsReported sightings of a shadowy figure
Lore associated with the Rothschild House is documented across regional haunted-place directories including WA Haunted Houses, HauntedPlaces.org, HauntedHouses.com, and GhostQuest, as well as the Peninsula Daily News' 'Spirits call Port Townsend home all year round' feature. Reports include slamming doors, sudden cold spots in upper rooms, and a melancholy shadow figure observed by visitors and museum staff. Multiple accounts identify the figure with David Charles Henry Rothschild, who died of a gunshot wound on the beach below the bluff in April 1886 in what was officially ruled a suicide.
WA Haunted Houses specifically notes that 'staff and perhaps visitors have heard the slamming of doors in areas of the house where no one from this world is located,' and HauntedHouses.com reports visitors seeing a ghostly figure peering out from the windows at dusk.
These accounts are aggregated secondhand from directory submissions and have not been corroborated by independent investigation or by the Jefferson County Historical Society in its official site. We discuss the Rothschild death as a documented historical event — confirmed by Wikipedia citing Port Townsend Leader reporting by Tom Camfield (2012) — without sensationalizing what was, by all available records, a personal tragedy during a difficult downturn in the family's shipping business.
Notable Entities
David Charles Henry Rothschild (1824-1886)
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.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothschild_House_(Port_Townsend,_Washington)
- 2.jchsmuseum.org/rothschild-house
- 3.jchsmuseum.com/About/Sites/RothschildHouse.html
- 4.sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WA-01-031-0093-03
- 5.wahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/rothschild-house-museum.html
- 6.hauntedplaces.org/item/rothschild-house-museum
- 7.ghost.hauntedhouses.com/washington_port_townsend_rothschild_house
- 8.peninsuladailynews.com/news/spirits-call-port-townsend-home-all-year-round
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rothschild House Museum family-friendly?
An educational historic-house museum. Discussion of D.C.H. Rothschild's 1886 death by suicide may be sensitive for some visitors; lore is best discussed with older children. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Rothschild House Museum?
Suggested donation; nominal admission may apply during open hours. Operated by Jefferson County Historical Society in partnership with WA State Parks.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Rothschild House Museum wheelchair accessible?
Rothschild House Museum has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Historic two-story 1868 Greek Revival house with stairs to upper floors; ground floor accessible to most visitors..