This 1874 Building Has Been Occupied by the Port Townsend Leader since 1916
Fowler Building - Leader Building, Port Townsend, Washington
- Categories:
- Washington
- Commercial
- Office
History of the Enoch Fowler Building
Enoch S. Fowler was born in Lubec, Maine, in 1813 and took to the sea at an early age. He came to the Pacific Coast in 1849, in the vessel Quaddy Belle. Fowler acted as mate aboard the brig George Emery, which had previously brought Plummer and Bachelder to the Sound.He made Port Townsend his home port in 1852, but continued to follow the sea, operating the schooner Cynosure between San Francisco and Puget Sound. In 1857 he left the sea and married the widow of Captain Caines.
Captain Fowler became one of the most prominent and progressive men of the settlement. In 1859 he built the first dock at which a vessel could land safely and was the promoter of many local enterprises. In 1874 he constructed the stone building on Adams Street.
The building was used only a few years as a store before Jefferson County acquired it and it became the Jefferson County Court House, serving that purpose during the territorial days and until 1892, when the present brick court house was completed and occupied. Part of the Fowler Building served as the Masonic Temple in the early days.
After the county offices were moved, this building became a Seamen's Bethel under direction of Chester Terry. It later was used for a variety of other purposed, and like many other old buildings here, it was unoccupied during various intervals when the town had more business space than its needs required,
The building was occupied in 1916 by the Leader Company, publishers of the Port Townsend Leader, a newspaper established in 1889. The Leader Company subsequently purchased the building from the county. The newspaper occupies the entire ground floor or its offices and printing plant. The former county offices on the second floor have been renovated and converted to apartments.
The Leader, an independent daily, was founded by W. L. Jones, on October 1st, 1889. Winslow M, McCurdy eventually took over the various interests and became the sole owner of the property. Prior to his death in 1928, Mr. McCurdy incorporated the newspaper and Ray O. Scott and Fred A, Willoughby joined him in the ownership and management of the publication. Management and ownership next went to Richard F. McCurdy, who sold his interests in the late 1960s to Frank Garred. The Leader has long been regarded as one of the substantial newspapers of the state. Today, it's known as the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, and still occupies the building.
Fowler Building Description
The Enoch Fowler Building was built in 1874 by the Carkeek construction people of Seattle for Capt. Enoch S. Fowler, retired sea captain and merchandiser. It is recognized as the oldest standing two-story all-stone building in the state of Washington. Material used was sandstone quarried at Scow Bay (Kilisut Harbor several miles from Port Townsend. In later years, because of the stone's porosity, the outer surface was covered with cement to improve the building's appearance and to counteract erosion.All of the original vaults and other facilities used by county offices earlier, were removed in the 1920's. The exterior of the building is changed on two sides by application of stucco, but the front remains in its original appearance. The name and date plate, high on the front of the building, which was placed there in 1874, remains in its original condition.
