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Home of the Ingomar Club.
The Carson Mansion is a large Victorian house located in Old Town, Eureka, California. Considered one of the highest executions of Queen Anne Style architecture, the home is the most recognizable landmark on the California North Coast. It is one of the most written about, and photographed Victorian houses in California, and perhaps in the United States.
The mansion is a mix of every major style of Victorian Architecture, including but not limited to the following styles: Eastlake, Second Empire (French), Italianate, Queen Anne (primary), and Stick, depending on which expert one consults. One nationally known architectural historian described the home as "a baronial castle in Redwood..." and stated further that "The illusion of grandeur in the house is heightened by the play on scale, the use of fanciful detail and the handling of mass as separate volumes, topped by a lively roofscape." A nationally recognized architectural survey stated, "The home epitomizes the range of possibilities for eclectic design expression" in the use of Victorian architectural styles in a manner that is "peculiarily American." Unlike most other homes dating from the period, this property has always been meticulously maintained, therefore standing today in virtually the same condition as when it was built.
Architectural style
The Carson Mansion is included in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) as Catalog number CA-1911. Completed in May 1964, this is the only official historical building listing of this State of California and nationally architecturally significant structure. Though it merits National Register of Historic Places status, the Ingomar - the private club that owns the home - guards the privacy of their club, and thus the mansion, allowing no possibility of outside influence. Consequently and purposefully, the home and grounds are never open to the public.
Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom of San Francisco, premier 19th century builder-architects (as they were called during the period), were placed under contract by Carson to create the house by 1883. They produced many styles and types of buildings from homes to churches to public buildings in their careers spanning many decades. Among their many accomplishments were the Oakland City Hall (1869) and the Alameda County Courthouse. (1875), The Napa Valley Opera House (1879), which was completely restored and reopened by 2003, and a restored 15,000 sq ft hotel in San Dimas, California are excellent remaining examples of their detail work as 19th century builder-architects.
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