Research Center 

The Research Center serves as both the primary research facility and the repository for the Society's archival collections. Staff and volunteers are on hand to facilitate your access to the collection.


Address:
13692 Airport Cutoff Rd
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 1:00-4:00pm 
We will be open on the 2nd Saturday of each month, beginning in January 2023, from 1:00-4:00pm.

We recommend you browse our “Archives and Library Holdings” to identify the items that you want access. Please write down the “Identification No.” of the items you would like to see and bring it with you during your visit.

What to expect

• Admission is by donation - we recommend $5 per person. The Research Center is always free to Students and Members of the Jefferson County Historical Society or Jefferson County Genealogical Society.
• Bring layers or a sweater! The research room is kept at a cool temperature (68F-72F).
• The main entrance and research room are in the smaller building that is closest to the highway.
• Only pencils are allowed in the main research area. This prevents accidental damage or ink transfer to the artifacts.
• You will be asked to wash your hands when you arrive. Gloves are not used for most archival materials because gloves can reduce dexterity, which can damage artifacts. The Archivist will instruct you when gloves are needed.
• No food or drink is allowed in the research room. If you would like to bring a water bottle, you will be asked to leave it in the kitchenette that is adjacent to the research room.
• Research Center personnel will give you one material at a time. This prevents materials from being accidentally misfiled. With thousands and thousands of documents to keep organized, we really appreciate your help and understanding in this matter!
• A JCHS computer is available during your visit. This is connected to the internet, from which you can browse our online collection or other research sites.
• You may take non-flash photographs of JCHS materials for personal use (non-published, non-commercial). If you would like to reproduce any of our materials for a book, website, article, or other format, please reach out to our Archivist. Fees may be assessed for this type of use.
• Our staff will be on hand to help identify additional materials that may be helpful for your research, if necessary. We cannot perform research for you for free.
• If you need a researcher to perform research for you, we can provide those services for a fee or connect you with professional researchers. Our limited staff spend their time on a variety of projects, and we do not have the ability to perform research for every project sent to us (no matter how interesting!).  

Other helpful information

• Click HERE to search our online database.
• Click HERE to search just our Archival and Library holdings.
• Click HERE for directions.
• Click HERE for membership information.
• Click HERE for the Genealogical Society website and databases.