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Port Townsend Historical Sites

History > Historic Homes

Name: Sewell House (now Annapurna Inn B & B and Retreat Center)
Year Built: 1881
Location: 538 Adams Street
Area: Uptown Port Townsend

The Annapurna Inn B & B and Retreat Center has a long history of healing energy. While sailing the seven seas, Captain Benjamin Sewell landed in South America, caught malaria, and met a native woman who nursed him back to health. As the astute man that he was, he married her and moved to the magical town of Port Townsend, which is known far and wide as the City of Dreams.

Then he lent out his beloved sailing vessel, and it capsized and was lost. In a very resourceful manner, he viewed the tragedy as a challenge and an opportunity. He built his house in about 1881, in a most unusual style, combining the love of ship building with which his family's name had long been associated, and the Victorian motif of the time. When everyone else was building "Grand Dame" three-story Victorian homes, he constructed this one to remind himself of his boat and his life on the sea. The house was built low and wide with elliptical port holes in the porch, which now are softly framed with clematis vines that bloom in early May.
There are many colorful stories about Captain Sewell's eccentricity. When you are a guest at the inn you too will see the cave and the upstairs chamber where seminars are held and yoga is practiced.

The Sewell house was handed down through the years. The original molding is still in some of the rooms. Recently, the current owner restored it to its present eclectic Victorian style.

It is said that under their cold exterior, the Victorian people were very hot-blooded and could not bear to have their homes too warm. For this reason, the proper ceiling height was 12'4", so that excess heat would rise to the upper portions of the rooms. The first room to your right has the original ceiling height. The rest of the home has a more conservative height of 10'6".

Because beauty enhances quality of life, we believe in supporting the local art community. Roberta Audelle painted the bucolic angel wrap-around mural in the cottage. Some of her other murals grace Lizzie's B & B, and the former Catholic Church. Kim Kopp, who has done large murals in Sequim, painted the Madrona trees and night sky in the Ivy Room. Yana Decker and Meadow Thurston, two young artists, painted the whimsical garden scene in the entry. Tim and Robin painted the Lotus Room with the "paint magic" technique of color on color, a process that warms and softens the walls.

Some data modified from the National Register Information System. Many descriptions used by permission of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce. All material copyrighted by PTguide.com.