Old Consulate

Specialties

This award-​winning bed and breakfast is one of Port Townsend’s finest ‘Painted Ladies’ and among the most photographed and painted Victorian mansions in the Pacific Northwest. She sits high on the bluff overlooking Port Townsend and commands spectacular views of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains.

Relax, laugh, and rediscover in a setting of tranquility and grace. Whether you curl up with a good book, kayak around the bay, or explore the shops and cafés of historic Port Townsend, the Old Consulate Inn offers you a haven of timeless contentment removed from the work-​a-​day world.

History

Established in 1889.

In 1889 Senator F.W. Hastings, son of Loren and Lucinda, began construction on his new home, just before he served in the 1891 and 1893 Washington state senates.

Then in the early 1890s, as the population of Port Townsend approached the 7500 mark, the railroad decided to terminate in Seattle instead of Port Townsend. The rest of the country slid into a period of financial depression, and any metropolitan aspirations in Port Townsend withered and died.

In the midst of the depression, the Hastings house was purchased at auction by a Swede, Mr. Olsen, and construction of the house was finally completed in 1904. Olsen’s was the first private home in Port Townsend to have electrical lights, an extravagance in the day. Tales of Mrs. Olsen, a spirited woman for her day by all accounts, abound. To make ends meet, the couple took a number of boarders, including the acting German consul, from which the Inn takes its name as the Old Consulate.

Meet the Business Owner

Cindy and Nathan B.

Business Owner

Cindy studied enology at University of California at Davis and went on to produce sparkling wine in Sonoma county. From there she followed her love for the sea, The Innkeepers in Victorian dressserving as chef aboard private yachts and as hotel manager for Lindblad Expeditions cruise lines. In recent years she has refined her culinary arts, specializing in catering for historical feasts.

Nathan spent his formative years studying literature while bartending, soldiering and traveling the world. In the late 1990’s he settled down to a life in Seattle where he pursued his fascination with history, music and the arts. As an instructor of historical fencing, entertainer, and musician, he has sought to share his love of history and the arts. He contributes to regional events including The Brass Screw Confederacy and the Port Townsend Victorian Festival.