Jefferson County Historical Society

Through collections, research, exhibits, and programs, Jefferson County Historical Society (JCHS) brings people together to share, learn, and be inspired by Jefferson County arts and heritage. Founded in 1879 and established as a nonprofit in its museum space in Port Townsend, Washington in 1951, JCHS supports the advancement of art and humanities for the benefit of Jefferson County residents and visitors. In 2012, JCHS dedicated one of its primary gallery spaces to art exhibitions and programs at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History in Port Townsend’s 1892 Historic City Hall building. In addition to the Jefferson Museum, JCHS manages four other sites in and around Port Townsend, including two historic house museums, a visitor center where we welcome visitors from all over the world to the Olympic Peninsula, and the Research Center where we house and care for JCHS's growing collections of art, photography, objects, and archives.