Manresa Castle
Building History:
Manresa Castle was built in 1892 by Charles Eisenbeis, a crackers and brewer in Port Townsend and first Mayor of Port Townsend. The Castle originally had 30 rooms and was built using 25,000 bricks. The walls are 1 foot thick. Charles only lived in the house for 10 years and it remained unoccupied for the next 25 years. There are rumors that during that time it was used as a birthing hospital. In 1927 it was purchased by a Jesuit Monastery and they named it Manresa Hall. They added the south wing, which included a church hall and more rooms. In 1968, the Chapel was converted into a dance floor with a dining area underneath. It was also used as a music school for a short period of time. When the Castle was converted into an Inn they named in Manresa Castle to signify its history as Charles Castle and Manresa Hall.
Legends of Haunts:
There are two reported haunts in this castle. Both haunts are stories created by an old Bartender of the castle to try and make a good story to explain the activity there. The stories are one of a former Priest of the Monastery who committed suicide inside the turret area of the attic above room 302. The other is a lady who is reported to have jumped from her window on the third floor, room 306, due to a broken heart of her lover dying while out to sea.
What are research has come up with of possible ties to the location. The only Priest who had died while attending the Monastery is Father John Alden Murphy. He had drowned in the Pugent sound on Thursday September 2nd, 1943. We where able to find a newspaper report and his official death certificate to confirm this! His clothes where found nicely folded on the shore. However, no body has ever been found as reported by the death certificate!
The other might be of Charles Granddaughter. Lotta Eisenbeis died at the age of 13 on March 20th, 1907. She had died due a heart infection. This is the only female that had died that was associated with the location. She died in a hospital in Seattle.
Other noted deaths are that of Charles Eisenbeis himself. He died of Brights disease in 1902. He is not noted whether he died in the castle or some other location. With most of the death certificates of that time we are given which hospital they died in. His location was not listed on the death certificate. I would imagine that it could have happened in the home. The other noted death is of Charles son, Charles Jr., who committed suicide in the basement of the Baker building in town on September 29, 1897. He had shot himself in the head!
All members of the Eisenbeis family are buried at Laurel Grove Cemetery.