The Pickett House is the oldest house in the city of

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...

, located on 910 Bancroft Street. Built in 1856 by

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Captain

George Pickett George Edward Pickett (January 16,Military records cited by Eicher, p. 428, and Warner, p. 239, list January 28. The memorial that marks his gravesite in Hollywood Cemetery lists his birthday as January 25. Thclaims to have accessed the baptis ...

, who later became a prominent general in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, the house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1971.

History

After Captain Pickett arrived in Bellingham to oversee construction of

Fort Bellingham Fort Bellingham (1856–1860) was a U.S. Army fort built to prevent attacks by Native Americans from British Columbia, Canada and from Alaska, on the bayside villages of Fairhaven, Washington, Fairhaven, Sehome and Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom. ...

, he chose a spot on what was then called Peabody Hill in the town of Whatcom to be cleared for his home. The two-story residence was built of lumber milled by the nearby Roeder-Peabody lumber mill on

Whatcom Creek Whatcom Creek ( North Straits Salish: ''X̌’wótqwem'' /χˈʔwotqəm/) is a waterway in Bellingham, Washington, United States. Approximately long, it drains Lake Whatcom through Whatcom Falls Park and through the city of Bellingham to Be ...

. About a year later, the Captain's son, James Tilton Pickett, was born in the house. After Captain Pickett left Bellingham in 1861 to serve in the Civil War, the house changed hands several times before Hattie Strothers left the house to the Washington State Historical Society upon her death in 1936. In 1941, the home became a museum and, later, home to the Daughters of Pioneers; both the museum and the Daughters still occupy the site.Edson, Lelah Jackson. ''The Fourth Corner: Highlights From the Early Northwest.'' Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, 1968, pp. 58-60. Very few changes have been made to the original structure. A narrow staircase has replaced the original ladder leading to the second-storey bedrooms, and a kitchen has been added to the lean-to section of the house.

Gallery

Image:PicketHouseByJuliusReque.jpg, Facade of the Pickett House with sign on 910 Bancroft Street, Bellingham, WA. Image:PicketHousePlaqueByJuliusReque.jpg, Plaque at the front of the Pickett House Image:PicketHouseExteriorByJuliusReque.jpg, Photo of the Pickett House showing the lean-to section Image:PicketHouseInterior01ByJuliusReque.jpg, Chair and rug detail from inside the Pickett House Image:PickettHouseInterior02ByJuliusReque.jpg, Interior of the Pickett House showing a sofa chair and windows looking out to the front Image:PickettHouseInterior03ByJuliusReque.jpg, Interior of the Pickett House showing the organ and a rocking chair

References

External links

Information about the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickett House Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Bellingham, Washington

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

Houses completed in 1856 Houses in Whatcom County, Washington National Register of Historic Places in Whatcom County, Washington