The city’s historic Charles Pink House in Uptown Port Townsend is slated for $253,000 worth of repairs this spring. 

On March 17, the city council approved an agenda bill authorizing its city manager to enter into a contract with Alpha Development to complete the Pink House Restoration project.

In 2023, the city completed an investigation and overall assessment of the facility, which serves as an extension of the neighboring public library, housing offices, public meeting space and the Friends of the Library Book Shop, and found that it was suffering from severe exterior deterioration caused by a failed gutter system, deferred maintenance and the climate. 

“From a maintenance standpoint the current gutter system is a pretty bad design and nearly impossible to keep clean,” wrote Michael Todd, the city’s facilities and parks manager, in an email. “This project aims to replace sections of rotten siding on nearly all sides of the house that has been damaged by the failing gutter system with in-kind products to match the existing siding. Additionally, we are looking at replacing the front deck boards and support beams that face the Lawerence St. side of the house.”

Once the repairs are complete, contractors will apply a fresh coat of paint, and staff will assess the roof condition and look at scheduling its replacement in 2026 or 2027.

The Pink House was built by Horace Tucker in 1868 in the Late Greek Revival style of architecture and is one of the state’s last remaining houses of its kind, according to the agenda bill. Charles Pink purchased the house in 1874. 

The city purchased the house in 1981 but lacked the funds to rebuild the dilapidated structure, which it hoped would serve as an extension of the library. The city gave a long-term lease to Little and Little Construction in exchange for a complete restoration of the building. After massive renovation, the city regained control in 2003. It served as an administration building for the fire department before the library took over in 2007. In 2012, the Pink House was renovated again to make the first floor spaces suitable for public programming and meetings.

Restoration efforts are set to begin in April or May, with completion expected in July or September, according to the agenda bill. 

Most of the restoration funding — $188,000 — will come from the city’s Real Estate Excise Tax fund, while the remaining — $65,000 — will come from the Friends of the Library Foundation. The city estimates the planned restoration will cost $178,013 and has budgeted $50,000 for unforeseen repairs. 

The project’s approval comes a year after the city’s Historical Preservation Committee met to discuss it. The committee recommended the city move forward with the restoration while keeping in mind the Department of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings to protect the historical significance of the building. 

The standards assume that while repair or alteration of historic buildings may be required for efficient use, the “repairs and damage must not damage or destroy materials, features or finishes that are important in defining the building’s historic character.” 

“We’re hoping with the proper care and maintenance that these repairs will last another 30 + years,” Todd wrote.