Eureka, a seacoast city on the North Coast of California, has a history rich in details of the fishing, dairy farming and timber industries. Magnificent Victorian-era homes line the streets, many of them listed on the National Historic Register. Redwood, locally available in unlimited amounts, was the building material of choice for the rich lumber barons and the successful dairy farmers for the 'painted ladies' that now make up what has been called the world's best open-air museum of Victorian-vintage buildings. Eureka has the highest per-capita proportion of Victorian houses in the United States.
One of the finest homes, the Carson Mansion, is reputed to be the most photographed Victorian in America. The wooden fairytale castle built by the lumber baron has a 68-foot tower, eight gables with balconies and porches. The gingerbread woodworking, intricate moldings, and massive carved pillars with spindle work are the handiwork of Mr. William Carson's woodworkers, who were kept busy during their down time with the construction of this special home for the boss and his family.
The bed and breakfast inns continue to grow in popularity as owners and visitors delight in the history of these old homes. Converted historic Victorian homes offer lodging to guests all along the Redwood Coast. Abigail's Elegant Victorian Mansion, an Eastlake Cottage bed and breakfast inn, is decorated in the High-Victorian style with furnishings of a typically wealthy family of the 1890-1900 period.
The exterior of the home is essentially the same as it was when it was first built for William and Cecelia Griffin Clark in 1888 for $3,000. Clark was one of Eureka's largest landholders and leading business owners and his former home is a National Historic Landmark. The Clark Cottage works as a "living history" house museum of the Victorian experience as well as bed and breakfast inn. Frommer's prestigious California travel guide calls Abigail's Elegant Victorian Mansion, "The most authentic Victorian atmosphere we have ever encountered in the United States. A Frommer favorite, not to be missed."
Old Town, along the waterfront of Humboldt Bay, offers bookstores, restaurants, coffee houses, galleries, museums, boutiques and antique shops. Frequent fairs and festivals draw visitors and residents to the downtown. A marina with leisure boats and colorful fishing craft can be seen in the bay. Humboldt Bay fish, crab and oysters and locally- produced chevre (goat cheese) offer visitors another treasure. Over 90% of the oysters harvested in California are found in Humboldt Bay.
The climate is mild year-round, varying from the 60s in the summer to the 50s in the winter. From May to October there is very little rainfall and a rare snowstorm in winter occasionally brings just enough snow to lightly cover the ground for a beautiful change of pace.
Just south of Eureka, the Victorian Village of Ferndale has been designated a State Historical Landmark by the state of California because of its history and architecture. Ferndale was known for its dairy farms in the late 1800s and drew immigrants from Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, England, China, and Ireland.
Architectural styles in the town include Victorian Gothic Revival, Stick Style, Carpenter Gothic, Queen Anne, Eastlake, and Italianate. The homes of the dairy farm owners were known as "Butterfat Palaces."
Pat Rioux
