PORT TOWNSEND – Nobody rode inside – although there were a few offers – as a the glass-sided Victorian hearse glided through the streets of the city Monday morning.
And the occasion was not a sad one, but a reason to celebrate -for the past two years, the hearse has been locked up inside the base building of the Fire Bell Tower on the bluff overlooking downtown.
Now, with the renovation of City Hall, the home of the Jefferson County Historical Society Museum is complete – and the hearse, along with a Victorian taxi cab and a vintage fire hose cart, are once again back on display starting later this week.
Monday’s move was accomplished with the help of a crew from Port Townsend Public Works, augmented by Mike Ryan and Tim Holbrook of the Port Townsend School District.
Moving the vehicles out of the Bell Tower, they loaded them by hand onto trailers, then drove the five blocks downtown.
The crew then unloaded the vehicles and moved them into the old fire hall.
The city crew, directed by John Merchant, included Carl Johnson, Larry Grewell, Jim Madden, Jay Tjemsland and John Freitas.
