Carson Mansion

Three stars only because I’d love to see inside and couldn’t. (It’s not open to the public). If you love Victorian mansions, this is a must see.

Just WOW! Must see, but must be a member or guest to see inside. The outside view is worth the trip!

You can’t go inside, but it’s lovely on the outside and worth a quick stop. Nice view of the bay as well. The pictures here don’t do it justice. The details are amazing!
Can’t believe at one time no one wanted it!

This is a quick detour. Amazing architecture. If you have the time and you like architecture, you’ll see multiple Victorian houses/​neighborhood in this area. As others have wrote, it’s privately owned and not opened to the public.

I just love having lunch at the Ingomar whenever I get the chance. The food is always up to par & the atmosphere is lovely. It’s a bit formal yet relaxing. No complaints here. One of the very few nicer establishments in Eureka these days. I always ask to be seated near the windows facing the bay. The crab cakes are delish. Highly recommended.

What can be said other than amazing architecture! Too bad the public cannot go inside

Had a wonderful lunch of dungeness crab sandwiches while sitting at the huge window overlooking Humboldt Bay. Afterward took a self guided tour of the house.
Want to do the same? Join the club or become a member of a reciprical club. I am a member of the Marines Memorial Club of San Francisco. If you are a veteran you can join and parktake in seeing the Carson House from the inside and not standing at the fence looking in.

One of the most fascinating Victorian houses out there! Sad how at one point the family/​house was at the pinnacle of society and now it’s sold to a private club.
Pity that’s it’s exclusive and you can’t go in. They’re missing out on lucrative tourist money…

If you are stopping in Eureka and want to take a quick break, than stop by the second most photographed house in the USA and take a snapshot. If you don’t have the time, just take a look at the picture below and it pretty much sums it up.

Just spent my dad’s 70^th birthday here Saturday night. Just would like to thank the staff for being so good to our friends, family and most of all my dad (David Jones Sr). Last time I had dinner here was 18 years ago for my 21^st birthday & and I am glad to say that the food and service is still amazing. Maybe it was just the time of year, but we had the entire dinning area and staff to ourselves. The president also gave our guests a personal tour!
Thank you so much for giving our family and friends such a special night! Highly recommend a birthday party here to any members who haven’t experienced one.

Carson Mansion — something to take a pic of in Eureka. It’s a cool looking building, but you can’t go in because it’s a Private Club, unless you’re a member.
I took several pics and the Victorian house across the street from it nicknamed The Pink Lady.

CARSON MANSION ALMOST DEMOLISHED!
The last William Carson heirs to reside in the Mansion moved to San Francisco in the late 1940s leaving the Mansion unoccupied. When the heirs could not find a buyer for the elaborate and finely crafted Mansion in 1949, it was at risk of being demolished in order to develop the prime multi-​acre site for alternate uses. Even the City of Eureka declined the opportunity to purchase this unique, historically significant piece of property due to the high cost of maintaining the Mansion.
During the same time period, Mr. J.H. Crothers and Mr. Carl Gustafson were holding a series of meetings with other Eureka businessmen to discuss the formation of a men’s club in Eureka comparable to those in other progressive communities.
One meeting brought forth the suggestion that the historic Carson Mansion at 143 M St., Eureka, might possibly be obtained for a clubhouse. This proved to be true. An option to purchase the Carson property was obtained from the owners in October 1949.
The purchase was formally completed early in 1950, and the new club was modeled after the long established «Humboldt Club» of which William Carson was a founding member. Since that time, Ingomar Club members have embraced stewardship of the property spending several million dollars of private funds to improve and maintain the Mansion and its grounds.
William Carson’s partner, John Dolbeer, revolutionized the logging business with his mechanical talent. In 1881, he patented the «Dolbeer Steam Logging Donkey» which modernized logging by replacing manpower with machine power (shown at right). The Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company prospered. They bought up some of the finest timberland, kept pace with the latest equipment, and they continued to prosper as logging methods and transportation improved.
By the 1890s, they owned several lumber mills, held an interest in the rail lines and in sailing vessels to insure the transport of their lumber. Dolbeer and Carson were instrumental in incorporating the Eel River and Eureka Railroad Companies. They helped build the Bucksport and Elk River Railroads and held interests in the Humboldt Northern Railroad. The major destination for lumber was San Francisco, but they shipped all over the world. To insure retail outlets Dolbeer and Carson held interests in other California lumber companies that produced finished lumber products such as molding, trim, and doors. They had diverse holdings as well, including oil fields and other non-​lumber business ventures. Mr. Carson invested in many community enterprises, including the Humboldt Bay Woolen Mills and the Humboldt Shoe Factory. Mr. Carson was one of the founders of the Humboldt County Bank, the Bank of Eureka, and the Savings Bank of Humboldt County. When the local Chamber of Commerce was organized in 1883, he became a member and was appointed to its Board of Directors. At his death, his fortune was estimated to be twenty million dollars.
Mr. Carson had a reputation of treating his employees well. He paid adequate wages, reduced the working hours, and had the respect of his fellow men. Carson’s men were also very well fed and cared for. One day a fellow lumberman said to him, «Mr. Carson, you feed your men entirely too well, much better than any of the other concerns on the Bay.»
Respected by the entire community, Mr. Carson never failed to lend help to the less fortunate. All of his charities were not made public, but after his death, his will contained 116 beneficiaries, many company employees, as well as churches, hospitals and other community agencies.