Ferndale Main Street Historic District


The City of Ferndale was designated as a State Historic Landmark in 1975 by the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation. Ferndale's Main Street Historic District was established in 1994 by the National Park Service and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architecture

Two distinct architectural phases are represented: late 19th century Victorian architecture, 1880 to 1890 and the early Modern period of the 20th century, 1920 to 1936. Eastlake-Stick style buildings by Architect T.J. Frost are particularly well represented as are Italianate, Queen Anne, Neo-Classic, Bungalow, and Mission styles.
The Ferndale Main Street Historic District covers 46 acres, includes 39 contributing buildings and one object, the Town Clock.
.NameImageDate builtLocationSummary
1Alford House207 Francis St.Cottage built for Dr. Alford in 1884.
2Masonic Temple212 Francis St.Eastlake-Stick architecture.
3Enterprise Office219 Francis St.Currently residential.
4Faulkner House230 Francis St.Built for Thomas H. Faulkner.
5Faulkner Building248-250 Francis St.Commercial false-front.
6Russ Bank Building290 Francis St. and 400 Ocean Ave.Eastlake-Stick - T.J. Frost, Architect
7Robert's Hotel/Ferndale Hotel315 Main St.Currently Ivanhoe Hotel. Oldest building in historic district.
8Taylor Building325-327 Main St.The red building on left is part of the Taylor building which has housed the Post Office and a drug store.
9Enterprise Building334 Main St.Concrete moderne.
10Post Office/ Drug Store Building337 Main St.The grey part of the Taylor building at right has been the Post Office and a drug store.
11Palace Saloon341-353 Main St.The Palace Saloon is the westernmost saloon in the conterminous 48 U.S. states.
12Loewenthal's Ferndale Reliable Store344 Main St.Eastlake-Stick - T.J. Frost, Architect.-
13Brown's Office Building350 Main St.Built as T.H. Brown's Office Building by putting up what is known as a Victorian False-front in 1902.
14Rose Mullady's Millinery & Art Needlework Store358 Main St.Modernistic building with added Victorian ornament.
15D. A. Branstetter Building361 Main St.Victorian False-front.
16Ring's Pharmacy362 Main St.Eastlake-Stick - T.J. Frost, Architect
17Russ & Sons Meat Market376 Main St.Eastlake-Stick - T.J. Frost, Architect.
18Town Clock385 Main St.In front of Dan A. Branstetter building.
19P.F. Hart Building393 Main St.Former gallery of Hobart Brown.
20Ferndale Bank394 Main St.Neo-Classical - still a bank.
21New Hart Building399-405 Main St.Mission Revival Style.
22Alford's Drug Store/Michel Drug Store409 Main St.Italianate storefront.
23Mullady Building424 Main St.Victorian False-front built for James Mullady.
24Masonic-Odd Fellows Hall425-431 Main St.Victorian False-front.
25Meng Building430-436 Main St.Victorian False-front.
26Hart Theatre441-451 Main St.F. Georgeson, Architect, currently Ferndale Repertory Theatre.
27Gill House/Blackburn Building444 Main St.Victorian False-front.
28Grangreen-Ward-Gill House452 Main St.1870 residence joined to a 1918 storefront.
29G. W. Williams Building455 Main St.Modified in 1920, 1948, and 1954. Upper floor subsequently rebuilt and restored by Ferndale Blacksmith Company.
30Eel River & Southern Telephone Company Building460 Main St.Mission Revival.
31Dahlquist Plumbing & Electrical Shop468 Main St.Eastlake-Stick style - T.J. Frost, Architect.
32Gill Building/Hiller Building476 Main St.Victorian False-front.
33Paine Building484 Main St.Queen Anne Style built for S.H. Paine.
34Old Red Front Store505 Main St.Italianate.
35Kemp Building513-525 Main St.Mission Revival.
36Petersen's Service Station524 Main St.Modernistic/Streamline Moderne
37R. H. Edwards Building535 Main St.Victorian False-front.
38Hiram Hatch Building543 Main St.Victorian False-front.
39Charles A. Doe Building561-563 Main St.Neo-Classical.
40S&E Garage and Ford Dealership580 Main St.Modernistic False-front.

Six other Historic Landmarks, the Shaw House, the Berding House, the Catholic Church of the Assumption Rectory, Ferndale Public Library and the
Alford-Nielson House are within the city limits, and the Fern Cottage Historic District and F. W. Andreasen–John Rossen House are slightly out of town.

Popular culture

Legoland Model Replica

Many of Ferndale's buildings have been recreated at the Legoland California theme park - the only American small town represented alongside New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and other nationally known locations. Ferndale was settled by many Danes, and Lego is a Danish company. In 1995, Legoland staff took hundreds of photos in Ferndale, and used over 1 million Lego bricks to recreate the town in the Miniland section of the park.

Films and Movies

Ferndale's historic Main Street has been shown in television and movies since the 1960s. The street is featured in movies like The Majestic, Outbreak, Salem's Lot and A Death in Canaan.