PORT TOWNSEND — A once-vibrant arts venue is in the revitalization process in the hopes it will be transformed into an event center for everything from small concerts to large weddings.
The Palindrome, 1893 Jacob Miller Road, 3 miles south of downtown Port Townsend, is now owned by Jim and Trudy Davis, owners and operators of Eaglemount Wine & Cider, along with Trudy Davis’ sons Ben and Jesse Thomas.
They hope to turn the 13-acre estate they purchased last October into a unique tourist destination.
The house, built in the 1920s, was used as a performance space by the Flying Karamazov Brothers from 1980 to 1995 and has been a private residence since then.
After a grand opening concert in June, the Palindrome will host a second public event, a fundraiser/party for KPTZ 91.9 FM of Port Townsend.
Taking place from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, the party will feature a silent auction, a full slate of Eaglemount products, food and a performance by local cover band Floating Otis.
Tickets will be $10 at the door.
“The reason for the party is to get all of our fans together and have a visible event,” said Nora Petrich, KPTZ station manager.
“You are invisible on the radio, so it’s nice to combine a party with music and all of us.”
Petrich is excited about holding the event in the Palindrome because of the setting, the acoustics and the dance hall, “which actually bounces.”
There is no fundraising goal. Petrich said she will be happy “if we get 300 people in there.”
Proceeds will be used to support operations, she said.
Ben Thomas hopes Saturday’s party will raise visibility for the Palindrome, get people interested in attending future events and help communicate its unique vision.
“We hope to make this an example of agritourism, which is common in places like Italy,” he said.
“Port Townsend is a tourist town, but it has more than Victorian houses and boats.
“We think we can draw more tourists to town that are fun and interesting.”
The house was built in 1908 as a private residence and has at various times been a berry farm, a brewery during Prohibition, a brothel, a boarding house, a bed-and-breakfast, a performance/rehearsal space for the Flying Karamazov Brothers, an event center and again a private residence before its purchase earlier this year.
“Suffice to say, the estate has a pretty cool legacy,” Ben Thomas said.
“Apparently, Duke Ellington even played there back in the day.”
The two main buildings are a 4,000-square-foot inn with five full suites and an apartment and performance space that also will contain an Eaglemount tasting room.
The land will be cultivated for grapes, used for wine, as well as flowers, providing guests with a “turnkey experience” where nearly everything served originates on site.
This requires the construction of a commercial kitchen and many other amenities that Ben Thomas thinks will take about five years to complete.
One unexpected obstacle is the installation of a larger septic system, which Ben Thomas is working with the Jefferson County Department of Community Development to resolve.
He had hoped to have the tasting room operating this summer, but the opening date is now undetermined even though “we are now moving ahead and hope to open very soon,” he said.
“This has been a bit overwhelming. There are a number of things we need to take care of that we didn’t anticipate,” he said.
“All this extra work is sideways motion that isn’t allowing us to move forward.”
There are no other currently scheduled public events, although some private ones are planned.
The first scheduled wedding is in March. By that time, Ben Thomas hopes to have all the permits needed to proceed on the facility’s necessary scale.
He hopes to present a series of concerts and events next summer.
The event hall, which can hold about 250 people comfortably, can be configured for watching, dancing or eating, depending on what’s going on inside.
He hopes to develop the property as an educational venue, hosting seminars and conferences.
“There is a pastoral quaint farm charm to this place. It’s not polished,” Ben Thomas said.
“The vision is to not just have an entertaining time but include workshops, including education as well.”
Plans include scheduling a workshop with a prominent musician who interacts with attendees while meals are served that match their musical style.
“I don’t have a fixed plan on how to do musical events,” Ben Thomas said.
“We are going to experiment to see what works.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.