Victorian Architecture

The Victorian village of Ferndale has long been recognized as one of the best places to view Victorian architecture in California. The entire village has been designated State Historical Landmark No. 883 as well as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999, Ferndale was selected as one of America's Prettiest Painted Places. In Ferndale, there are prime examples of Victorian churches, barns, homes, and one of the best commercial districts is to be found on Ferndale's Main Street.

Ferndale, California was settled in the 1860s and quickly became a mettling pot of Scandanavian, Swiss-Italian and Portuguese cultures. Early settlers were primarily farmers, raising crops such as potatoes. But starting in the 1870s a small dairy industry began, and the area was so well suited to dairy production that by the 1890s dairy was the main industry in Ferndale. Many of Ferndale's finest homes were built during the dairy boom of the 1880s and 90s and these ornate Victorian homes became known locally as "Butterfat Palaces."

"Town Hall" was created for the film 'The Majestic'

Starting with the Gothic Revival house that Mr. Shaw built, the town features a wide range of Victorian and Arts & Crafts style architecture. As the Gothic Revival period faded, the area's vast redwood forests were used to fashion Stick, Eastlake, and later, Queen Anne structures. There are even a few odd balls thrown into the mix representing other Victorian styles such as Second Empire. But one thing most buildings in Ferndale have in common is redwood. Not only is it plentiful in Humboldt County, redwood is a very durable wood, which has allowed these grand old buildings to withstand all that mother nature could throw at them for over a hundred years