Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Ferndale, CA
Year Listed: 2002
Virtually unchanged since the 1800s, Ferndale, Calif. (pop. 1,382) is a living history museum of Victoriana and other architectural treasures. Nestled in a verdant, pastoral valley near Northern California's redwood forests, Ferndale was founded in 1852 and quickly became one of the region's major agricultural centers. The prosperous dairy industry provided the economic base, and the blend of agriculture and architecture produced splendidly ornate buildings that are known today as "Butterfat Palaces." A photographer's paradise, Ferndale has been called one of the prettiest painted places in America. Visitors can stroll along the town's Historic Main Street District, where art galleries, antique shops and boutiques complement a dazzling array of 19th-century Gothic Revival, Italianate, Eastlake and Queen Anne homes. The Ferndale Museum preserves and exhibits the history of this thriving community. In addition to displaying artifacts, furniture and items that have survived since the town was founded - including an operating seismograph, a telephone switchboard, working crank phones, farm and logging equipment, a barber shop and a complete blacksmith shop - the museum also provides walking tours of the well-preserved town. With historic markers dating back to the last century, Ferndale's pioneer cemetery is an off-beat but popular attraction. Overlooking the town, the cemetery offers expansive views of the ocean to the west and the Eel River Valley to the east. Built in 1866 for the cattle-ranching Russ family, Fern Cottage is a picturesque farmhouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Located three miles west of Ferndale, the historic home and gardens are open, available for tour. Because Ferndale was built on the labor of thousands of Scandinavian, Swiss-Italian and Portuguese immigrants, the town today celebrates that heritage. The Portuguese Holy Ghost Celebration, Cinco de Mayo Folkloric Festival, and the Scandinavian Mid-Summer Festival are just some of the numerous events held annually to commemorate the town's distinctive culture. Ferndale is also the home of the Humboldt County Fair, the longest running county fair in California. Close by up the Redwood Highway are thick groves of redwoods and the town of Eureka, which sits on the Humboldt Bay. Although Ferndale came to life as an isolated settlement in the unexplored territory of the American West, today the town is just a few miles off the beaten path. But with its enchanting Victorian charm, it might as well be a world away.
