Carson Mansion

143 M Street

Eureka, California

"considered the most grand Victorian home in America"

"one of the most written about and photographed Victorian houses in California and possibly in the United States"

Circa 2018

This Victorian mansion was constructed in 1884 and was completed in 1886.  The cost to build it was $80,000 (equivalent to $2,866,667 in 2025).  The architects were Samuel Newsom and Joseph Cather Newsom. 

The mansion is a mix of every major style of Victorian architecture, including but not limited to Italianate and Queen Anne.  

Originally the home of William Carson, one of the Northern California's first major lumber barons.  The house and grounds are not open to the public as it is owned and occupied by the private Ingomar Club.

The Ingomar Club is a private club that owns the home being formed in May 1950 by J. H. Crothers and Carl Gustafson.  According to researcher Wally Graves, the club was founded "to own and maintain a club headquarters for the meetings and enjoyment of its members.

In the late 1940s, two Eureka businessmen, Crothers and Gustafson came up with the idea for what is now the Ingomar Club.  Modeling this vision after an established organization, the Humboldt Club, they and other prominent members of local society began meeting and looking for a physical location to house the club.  In particular, they focused on a vacant mansion that had been built by lumber baron, William Carson, who had been a member of the Humboldt Club.  Since his heirs had moved to San Francisco, the club founders were able to negotiate a price of $35,000. 

Originally a men's club, the club has since admitted women in the early 2000s with equal access as men. The club was named in tribute to the historic Ingomar Theatre which was once located in downtown Eureka's Carson Block Buiilding and named after William Carson's favorite play, Ingomar the Barbarian. Members enjoy upscale lulnch and dinner offerings featuring stellar cuisine paired with views overlooking Humboldt Bay.  

The Carson Mansion 

Circa 1902

The Pink Lady

Located directly across the street from the Carson Mansion is the Pink Lady Mansion.  It was built in 1889 by William Carson as a wedding gift for his daughter.  It has been beautifully restored and functions today as a boutique hotel and bed-and-breakfast.

The Carter House Inn

This Eureka landmark is a masterful 1980s replica of a grand San Francisco Victorian mansion designed originally by the Newsom brothers in the late 19th century.  Today, it operates as an upscale inn and restaurant. 

Hillsdale Street Neighborhood

For a quiet walk among residential "Painted Ladies", head to the historic streets between 12th & 13th Streets and E & C Streets.  This neighborhood contains some of Eureka's best-preserved private Queen Anne Victorian homes.

Mowry House

220 Hillsdale Street

Circa 1893

A. W. Torrey House

216 Hillsdale Street

Circa 1893

John A. Cottrell Home

1228 C Street

Circa 1902

 Mr. Cottrell was a lumberman. He arrived in Eureka in 1884 and became foreman at William Carson's Lincoln Mill.  Around 1889, he co-founded a moulding and sash mill then constructed this Queen Anne as a showpiece for products from his mill such as windows, doors, porch details, railings, cabinets and interior trim.

A car show on Main Street

Ferndale, California

Ferndale, California is an historic city in Humboldt County known as the "Victorian Village" for its exceptionally well-preserved 19th-century architecture.  Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1893, the town grew prosperous through a thriving dairy industry.  Wealthy dairy farmers built ornate Queen Anne homes and storefronts earning th etown its "Butterfat Palace" and "Cream City" nicknames. The entire city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as California Historical Landmark #883. 

The Victorian Inn

400 Ocean Avenue

Ferndale, California

Banker Ira C. Russ, charmed by the area and with family in the area returned to Ferndale in 1800 and created this detailed monumnet.  His magnificent tribute to luxury, comfort and crafsmanship is built entirely of native redwood and remains an historic and notable architectural testament of its time. One of the most photographed buildings in Northern California, the Inn embodies the elegance and romance of the timber boom era, as every room has a unique story to tell in the heart of California Redwoods.