Carson Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carson Mansion |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Town or city | 143 M Street Eureka, California |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°48′20″N 124°09′31″W / 40.80562°N 124.15848°W |
| Construction started | 1884 |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Cost | $80,000 (equivalent to $2,605,630 in 2022) |
| Client | William Carson |
| Owner | Ingomar Club |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Concrete foundation; Douglas Fir frame; Redwood exterior |
| Size | In excess of 16,200 sq ft (1,510 m2) on 3 floors (excluding basement) plus 103 feet (31 m) tower; 18 rooms |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Samuel Newsom and Joseph Cather Newsom |
| Engineer | W. H. Mills (construction supervisor) |
The Carson Mansion is a very large Victorian house. You can find it in Old Town, Eureka, California. Many people think it is one of the best examples of Queen Anne style homes in America. Some even call it "the most grand Victorian home in America." It is also one of the most famous and photographed Victorian houses in California and the United States.
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What is the Carson Mansion?
This amazing house was first built for William Carson. He was a very important lumber businessman in Northern California. Since 1950, the mansion has been a private club. It is called the Ingomar Club. Because it is a private club, the house and its gardens are not open for people to visit.
Who was William Carson?
William Carson was born on July 15, 1825. He came from New Brunswick, Canada. In 1849, he traveled to San Francisco with other lumberjacks. They first tried to find gold in the Trinity Mountains.
Later, they moved to Humboldt Bay. There, they started cutting down trees for a small sawmill. In November 1850, Carson and Jerry Whitmore cut down the first tree for business in Humboldt Bay. Carson then decided to stay in the lumber business for good. In 1854, he sent the first loads of redwood timber to San Francisco. Before this, only fir and spruce trees were used.
How did William Carson's business grow?
In 1863, William Carson and John Dolbeer started their own company. It was called the Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company. The company grew bigger and bigger. In 1881, John Dolbeer invented the Steam Donkey Engine. This machine made it much easier to move logs. It changed how logging was done, especially in hard-to-reach places.
Carson also helped start the Eel River and Eureka Railroad. This railroad helped move lumber. Before building his mansion, Carson said he would build it just for himself. He wanted it to be exactly how he liked it.
In 1884, his company was making a huge amount of lumber. They produced 15 million board feet of lumber each year. The company also owned ships to move lumber around the world. This meant Carson had plenty of money and materials to build his dream home.
What happened to the Carson family and the house?
The Pacific Lumber Company bought Carson's company in 1950. The Carson family then left the area.
In 1950, local business leaders bought the mansion for $35,000. It became the Ingomar Club. The club was named after Carson's Ingomar Theater. That theater was named after Carson's favorite play, Ingomar the Barbarian.
What architectural styles are in the Carson Mansion?
The Carson Mansion is a mix of many Victorian architecture styles. These include Eastlake, Italianate, Queen Anne, and Stick. The main style is Queen Anne.
One expert called the house "a baronial castle in Redwood." They also said it looks very grand because of its unique details. The house has been kept in great condition. It looks almost the same as when it was first built.
In May 1964, the house was listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS). This is the only official historical listing for the house. The Ingomar Club has chosen not to apply for National Register of Historic Places status.
Who designed the Carson Mansion?
The architects for the Carson Mansion were Samuel Newsom and Joseph Cather Newsom. They were brothers who owned the firm Newsom and Newsom. They worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oakland. Carson hired them to design the house in 1883.
They designed many buildings in California. Some of their other famous buildings include the Napa Valley Opera House and the San Dimas Hotel.
The Newsom brothers also designed another Queen Anne style house in Eureka. It was called "The Pink Lady." William Carson gave it to his son Milton as a wedding gift in 1889. This house was restored in 1964. It was the first historic building in Eureka to be fixed up.
Another Queen Anne style design by the Newsoms was copied in Eureka in 1982. It was built by the Carter House Inn. This copy looks like the 1885 Murphy House in San Francisco. The original Murphy House was lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Mansión Carson para niños
